ALTERNANTHERA

Alternanthera ficoidea is a low-growing plant that typically grows on erect to procumbent stems to 6-12” tall. It is native from Mexico to Argentina. Species plants have elliptic to broad ovate green leaves (to 1” long). However it is the brightly colored cultivars that have become the popular garden plants, featuring green leaves blotched with yellow, orange, red, brown, copper or purple, sometimes with red veining. Foliage of the brighter colored cultivars is suggestive of coleus. White apetalous flowers appear stalkless or on short stalks in small axillary clusters in late fall to winter, but are insignificant. Flowers are usually observed in St. Louis only on houseplants or on container plants brought inside for overwintering. Plants in the genus Alternanthera have a rather large number of descriptive common names, including but not limited to Joseph’s coat, copperleaf, calico plant, bloodleaf, joyweed and parrot leaf, all in reference to the brilliantly colored leaves which provide foliage contrast to gardens and container plantings.