Salpinctium natalense is a good garden subject and does well in most shady parts of the garden. It prefers a cool spot in light shade, dappled shade or deep shade that is protected from wind, and needs plenty of leaf litter or well-rotted compost applied as mulch, and plenty of moisture and humidity. It is also best grown in a well-drained, loamy soil that is not too rich. It looks good planted en masse or grouped with other shade-loving species such as asparagus, clivia, streptocarpus, etc. It is also suitable for containers and hanging baskets. It is prone to Red Spider. It can be tricky to keep in cultivation.

This plant can be easily grown from cuttings and seeds. Like all other species from the Acanthaceae family, the seeds are dehiscent and burst open as they dry. To prevent the seeds from being lost, they should be collected as soon as the seed capsules turn brown. Sow the seeds on the surface, pressing them down a little. The seed germinates well on a mist bed. Once germinated, the seeds should be transplanted in a mixture of good soil, compost and river sand and placed in a shady spot and watered once a week with a fine sprinkler. Sow the seeds in late spring (October).

Cuttings can be taken during late spring or early summer (October and November), they root better when the air temperature has warmed up. Use stems of the previous season’s growth. The cuttings should be about 120 mm long and treated with a rooting hormone suitable for soft herbaceous stems. Place the cuttings in a mixture of good soil and river sand in equal parts. Ideal temperature for rooting is between 15–25ºC. After rooting, transplant the cuttings into a good general soil mixture and place them in 60% shade and water 2 to 3 times a week.

This plant also roots easily at the nodes and can thus be propagated by layering, or by finding rooted stems, removing them from the mother plant and potting them up.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Geoff Nichols for advice on the propagation and cultivation of Salpinctium natalense.