Family: Acanthaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Pseuderanthemum graciliflorum, or blue crossandra, is a tropical flowering shrub native to Indo-China and parts of Malesia. It is grown as an ornamental for its glossy leaves and blue to lavender flowers, and is commonly used in tropical gardens, borders, and landscape plantings.

Risks & Threats
Blue crossandra is considered low risk in Hawaiʻi. It is not known to spread aggressively or cause major environmental impacts. While responsible planting is always encouraged, this species is generally regarded as a safe ornamental plant for local landscapes.

High Risk Traits:

• Congeneric weed
  
• Shade tolerant
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people (ornamental)
  
• Native to tropical climates
  
• Introduced outside native range (e.g., Taiwan)

Low Risk Traits:

• No naturalization or weedy races
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No allelopathy, parasitism, or toxicity
  
• No vegetative spread