About
Acalypha hispida is an upright evergreen shrub that can reach a height of up to 2.5 meters. It features broad, ovate leaves and produces long, drooping flower spikes resembling catkins, which can grow to 45 centimeters. These distinctive red flowerheads appear intermittently throughout the year.
About the genus
Acalypha comprises evergreen shrubs, trees, or annuals, characterized by their simple leaves and racemes of small flowers resembling catkins, with some species displaying vibrant colors.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1B
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conservatory Greenhouse, Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Native to
- New Guinea, Malaya
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass or indoors in a peat-free potting compost in full or filtered light. When in growth water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly. Water sparingly in winter, keeping barely moist. Can be grown outdoors in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in sun or part shade but only in warmer climes
- Pruning
- Pruning group 10
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings in early spring or semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer. Bottom heat will be required
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free