Super King Ixora Red (Super King Ixora) care

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Requires full sun—a minimum of 4–6 hours of direct sunlight daily—for best flowering. Too little light dramatically reduces blooms and leads to pale, sparse foliage. In hot climates, light afternoon shade can prevent leaf scorch without significantly reducing flower production. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for super king ixora red — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering super king ixora red: every 5–7 days; maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Prefers consistently moist but well-drained soil. Allow the top 2–3 cm to dry slightly before watering again. Avoid prolonged dry spells, which cause bud drop and leaf scorch, and avoid waterlogging, which causes leaf spotting and chlorosis. Established shrubs are moderately drought-tolerant.

Soil and pot

Super King Ixora Red grows best in acidic, organic-rich, well-drained loam. Strictly requires acidic soil with a pH of 5.0–6.5. Alkaline conditions cause iron chlorosis (yellowing between leaf veins), the number one cultural problem with Ixora. Amend with elemental sulfur, acidic peat, or iron sulfate if pH is above 6.5. Incorporate compost for water retention and fertility. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Super King Ixora Red sits happiest at around 50–80% humidity and 18–35 °C (64–95 °F). Thrives in the high humidity of tropical climates. Indoors or in dry regions, provide supplemental humidity via pebble trays with water, grouping with other plants, or a nearby humidifier. Leaf tip browning is a common indicator of insufficient humidity. If you keep the room above 18–35 °C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed super king ixora red sparingly. Feed with an acid-formulated slow-release fertiliser (e.g., azalea/camellia blend) every 2–3 months during the growing season. Supplement with chelated iron micronutrient spray if interveinal chlorosis appears. Avoid high-phosphorus fertilisers, which can lock out iron and magnesium in acidic soils. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on super king ixora red in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Iron chlorosis from alkaline soil — Yellow leaves with dark green veins (interveinal chlorosis) indicate iron deficiency caused by alkaline soil locking out iron uptake. Lower soil pH to 5.5–6.0 with elemental sulfur or acidifying fertiliser, and apply a chelated iron foliar spray for rapid correction.
• Sooty mold from scale and mealybugs — Soft scale and mealybugs excrete honeydew, on which black sooty mold develops. Treat the pest infestation first with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap; sooty mold will naturally clear once the pest is controlled. Wipe heavily coated leaves with a damp cloth.
• Failure to bloom — Ixora blooms best with adequate direct sun and consistent soil moisture. Pruning at the wrong time (late spring or summer) removes developing buds. Prune only immediately after a flowering flush. Phosphorus deficiency and high soil pH are also common causes of poor flowering.

Propagation

Propagate from 10–15 cm semi-hardwood stem cuttings taken in late spring or summer. Dip in rooting hormone, insert in a mix of perlite and coarse sand, and maintain at 25–30 °C with high humidity under a propagation dome. Roots develop in 4–6 weeks. Air layering is also reliable for larger branches: girdle the bark, wrap with moist sphagnum moss and plastic film, and sever once roots are well established (usually 8–12 weeks). Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Super King Ixora Red is pet-safe. The ASPCA lists both Ixora coccinea (Flame of the Woods) and Ixora javanica (Jungle Geranium) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses with no toxic principles identified. Ixora casei 'Super King' is in the same genus and is considered pet-safe. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Super King Ixora Red deep-dive guides

Every aspect of super king ixora red care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Super King Ixora Red watering schedule
• Super King Ixora Red light requirements
• Best soil mix for super king ixora red
• Super King Ixora Red fertilizing guide
• When to repot super king ixora red
• How to propagate super king ixora red
• Super King Ixora Red growth rate & size
• Super King Ixora Red cold hardiness
• Super King Ixora Red temperature & humidity
• Is super king ixora red toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is super king ixora red toxic to cats?
• Is super king ixora red toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Super King Ixora Red qualifies for 10 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

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Super King Ixora Red is also known as Super King Ixora Red, Super King Ixora, and Taiwanese Ixora.

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