Jungle Geranium is a perennial, broadleaf flowering evergreen, a member of the Rubiaceae family that can be grown as a tree or a shrub. It is a native of the island of Java and the Malaysian peninsula. In the wild, the plant can reach a height of 10 feet, but is more typically kept to 18 inches and grown as an indoor ornamental in containers or as a bonsai. It is an ornamental plant, free flowering with dense clusters of flowers that begin orange, but turn red as they mature. Jungle Geranium does best in full sun to partial shade with moderate watering when the soil surface has become slightly dry; however, it is more often grown in containers and taken indoors during the winter months. When grown indoors, you should maintain a temperature of at least 60 degrees and feed it once a month with a water-soluble fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants. The plant is a host for the slug moth in its larval growth stage, known as saddleback caterpillar. The caterpillar has venomous spines. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: When grown indoors, susceptible to scale, thrips and mealybugs.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Erect; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Light green, smooth 8 inch leaves are oval with entire leaf margin (20 cm long). Leaves are paired and tend to droop.
Flower color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Free flowering, small, tubular flowers in large, dense clusters have 4 lobes forming a cross-like pattern. Initially red-orange, they later turn red. Flowers are arranged in large, dense 3 inch clusters.
Fruit color
Black; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Round and dark purple to black.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Himalaya to Malesia
Distribution
Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, East Himalaya, Jawa, Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam
Wildlife value
Host plant to slug moth in its larval growth stage, known as saddleback caterpillar. The caterpillar has venomous spines.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Colorful
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Butterfly Garden
Design feature
Border; Flowering Tree
Garden tags
#non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #small tree #broadleaf evergreen #shrub #butterfly caterpillar host #flowering shrub #ornamental shrub #container plant #bonsai
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Scale Insects Found on Flowers and Foliage; Thrips Found on Flowers and Foliage; Mealybugs