About
Features boldly variegated foliage with irregular patterns of orange, red, yellow, and green. The leaves are pointed, ovate in shape, and have shallow serrations along the edges.
About the genus
This genus consists of annual or perennial herbs and shrubs, with some species exhibiting succulent or tuberous characteristics. They are among the simplest plants to propagate. The soft-textured foliage contributes rich colors, including red, pink, green, and purple, enhancing garden beds, borders, and container arrangements.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1C
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bedding, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Sub-tropical, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass in a peat-free, loam-based, potting compost in bright filtered to moderate light. Pot up annually in spring. Grow on outdoors after risk of frost has passed in a sheltered position with humus rich, moist but well-drained soil
- Pruning
- Pinch out tips to encourage bushiness. Cut back if bringing indoors for winter
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in early spring (cultivars may not come true) or by softwood cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to glasshouse pests such as mealybugs, glasshouse whitefly and scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free