Scientific Name:
Iresine herbstii
Pronunciation:
ir-es-EYE-nee HAIRBS-tee-eye
Common Name:
bloodleaf
Family Name:
Amaranthaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Indoor foliage plant
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, most blades broadly ovate to suborbicular, 2-6cm long x 2-5cm wide, with notched tips, most purplish with light red veins, petioles 2-5cm long; florets very small, in panicles up to 50cm long.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Origin:
South America (Brazil)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Culivars shown may include I. 'Aureoreticulata', I. ‘Brilliantissima’, and I. 'Purple Lady'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, Yellow, Purple, Red, Other cvs. have green/yellow leaves or green leaves with yellow veins e.g. I. ‘Aureoreticulata’; requires full sun exposure needed for best foliage colour
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Retuse
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Panicle
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White, Green
Flower Time at Peak:
Can flower any month
Additional Info:
Rarely blooms in cultivation.
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Propagation:
Stem tip cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Pinch tips to maintain shape and to promote bushier foliage.
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Mildew, Mites (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
