Red and green house plants refer to adaptable indoor plants with multi-colored foliage, specifically the colors red and green, not plants with green or red flowers.
This list includes plants that thrive in the home, are easy to grow, and make great organic ornaments. Some have red leaves and green leaves distinctly, while others possess both colors in a mix. Read on to know the best for you.
Contents
List of Red and Green House Plants
Anthocyanins and chlorophyll are responsible for producing plants with red and green foliage. The key to selecting good house plants is getting hardy plants that can survive without full sunlight.
1. Polka Dot Plant
Hypoestes phyllostachya, colloquially known as the polka dot plant, freckle face, or the flamingo plant, is a little plant with red/pink foliage dotted with green or green foliage stained with red dots. They enjoy well-drained soil and thrive in partial shade.
– Growing Requirements
The best way to grow Polka Dot plants is in a pot about 12 inches in diameter. It allows the plant to grow to maturity and spread. They are easy to maintain, requiring regular watering. However, you must note that the trick is to keep the plant moist.
On the other hand, the best time to grow this colorful plant is in summer. While they grow as perennials, the plants require organic soil, and as a result, many gardeners treat them as annuals and provide rich compost each year.
– Decoration Ideas
They make good porch plants when the porch receives little to no sunlight, when it faces north, for instance.
They make good centerpiece plants or window plants, with both colors showing brightly. If you intend to add them to your windows, consider a part of the house that doesn’t receive a lot of sunlight. In addition, leverage their affinity for moisture and turn your bathroom into a tropical burst of colors with this beauty.
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2. Garden Croton
Codiaeum variegatum, known to many as the garden croton or Mammy red.
– Characteristic
This is a shrub that has a high drought tolerance and adaptability to several soil types. This plant is intriguing and an ideal red and green houseplant because of its characteristic color change and growth rate depending on sunlight.
– Growth Requirements
The garden croton produces green foliage under direct and warm sunlight in a humid environment. By placing the plant under shade, the foliage turns red and green.
It’s best grown with loamy soil and requires regular trimming. Watering should be done sparingly, only keeping the soil just moist. Note that this plant also prefers free-drained soil.
– Decoration Options
With a plant that has high adaptability, the options are almost limitless. Anywhere in the home that receives at least indirect sunlight and isn’t too humid, like placing it in a bathroom, for example, and is a beautiful place to have this plant.
Anywhere that indirect or direct sunlight can reach is perfect. Consider placing the Garden Croton beside the television or on the front verandah. Note that they go well as office plants if you work from home, or even have a cooperative office.
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3. Ti Plant
The Ti plant is also known as Cordyline fruticosa, and it is a tropical plant that thrives as a houseplant owing to its beautiful fork-like foliage and hardiness.
– Characteristics
The leaves are known for their pointed edges, predominantly red colors splashed with green. In addition, they can be used as air purifying plants
– Growth Requirements
The Ti plant, called the Baby Doll Ti plant, naturally grows in temperate environments. It means that it loves a great level of humidity together with some moderate amount of sunlight. With regular watering and inspection of the leaves, you’re set.
– Decoration Options
Because of its humid and sunlight requirements, the Ti plant grows best in areas that aren’t dry but with adequate direct sunlight. They make excellent window plants in bathrooms or homes with indoor garden sections. It will give your bathroom’s interior some aesthetic elevation by adding a very nice touch to it.
On the other hand, if you consider adding them to an indoor fountain with pebbles already placed where the sun touches. It instantly becomes a setting from a fairy tale. You can also place them on your office table, alongside with a proper pebble tray.
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4. Veined Nerve Plant
The Veined Nerve plant, the Nerve plant, Chinese Nerve plant, or Fittonia, is a Chinese evergreen tropical plant that enjoys shade.
– Characteristics
The leaves are often symmetrically veined with veins having the colors silver or red. The name, nerve plant, results from the resemblance between their veins and how nerves in the body spread out.
– Growing Requirements
Ensure that there’s enough growing space, adequate moisture, and indirect sunlight. In nature, they grow as cover crops under the shade of trees in the tropics. By imitating such an environment, your nerve plant would grow effortlessly.
– Decoration Options
The best place to grow Fittonia is the bathroom, and the key reason for this is that in the bathroom, it easily mirrors the tropical floors where they thrive. If you stay in a relatively humid environment, consider planting them as creeping plants on your porch.
If you have a window area that doesn’t receive direct sunlight but adequate rain, use them outside your window to add beauty.
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5. Madagascar Dragon Tree
The Madagascar Dragon Tree, Dracaena marginata, is a tough, beautiful houseplant known for its drought tolerance and easy pruning to the desired height.
– Features
Their stems are reduced to blades, and their leaves are reduced to little spines. The blades have a central green color, with red at the edges.
– Growth Requirements
The Madagascar Dragon Tree requires little water and thrives in sufficient but indirect sunlight, and this is one of its key low maintenance aspects. In addition, they require little to no fertilizer and well-drained soil. Note that the plant should be allowed to dry out, not intensely, before in between watering sessions.
– Decoration Options
They grow best as plants on the porch or kitchen, close to the door. Areas in the home with low humidity and bright light are key to the health of the Madagascar Dragon tree. They also make good centerpieces in living rooms that receive lots of indirect sunlight.
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6. Wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina, best known as the Wandering Jew, is an absolutely beautiful small creeping house plant with dull green and red/purple foliage. Native to Mexico, these shade-loving plants instantly light up bland surfaces and walls.
– Growth Requirements
The Wandering Jew loves moisture and shade. They are invasive by nature, quietly creeping into unsuspecting regions, and as a result, they require constant but calculated trimming or pruning. However, remember that as they have moist leaves and well-drained soil, the wandering plant would thrive excellently, showing its beautiful foliage.
– Decoration Options
The front of homes and widows that offer shade in humid regions is an ideal environment for this plant. It is the perfect pick if you fancy tropical bathrooms with shades. For aesthetics, look for places in your homes with single colors and devoid of any form of art or design, as they instantly fit in.
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7. Rex Begonia
Begonia rex-cultrom, best known as Rex Begonia or wax begonia, is a shade-loving houseplant that enjoys moisture. It displays a beautiful mix of red and green foliage.
The leaves are similar to Elephant ear leaves and enjoy moderate temperate conditions, similar to conditions found in tropical forest floors.
– Growing Requirements
While this houseplant is a beauty to possess if you love red and green leaves, it’s not easy to care for. In its early years, the Rex begonia requires a heavy amount of fertilizer and partial to deep shade with indirect sunlight.
Watering should be when the soil is almost dry; stick a finger into the soil to be sure. The Rex Begonia enjoys well-drained soil and shallow pots. With the right amount of both water and fertilizer, these annuals produce leaves that give a bright splash of red and green.
– Decoration Options
Owing to their love for humidity and shade, these house plants would make ideal bathroom plants. With regular spraying of the leaves, the Rex begonia would also make a good window plant for windows that do not receive direct sunlight.
Ultimately, they need a place where their leaves would remain moist, but the soil will not get soaked, and under shade, of course. However, note that an ideal spot is anywhere in the home with the conditions mentioned above.
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8. Flamingo Lily
Anthuriums, either Anthurium scherzerianum or Anthurium andraeanum, is also known as the Flamingo Lily or the Flamingo flower it has been called by multiple names.
– Characteristic
This flower is a temperate-loving plant that grows in conditions similar to the floor of the tropical rainforest floor. Note that they possess green leaves below and red leaves toward the top where the ‘spadix’ are present, a spectacle to beautify homes.
– Growth Requirements
The Flamingo lily thrives in humid conditions, with partial to full but indirect sunlight. While humidity is important, the soil should be moist but not water-clogged. It’s advised that watering takes place once every three days.
Anthuriums do not thrive in low temperatures and may need to be repotted every two to three years. However, you should remember that the pots used should be larger, in diameter, than the Anthurium, if it is three to four sizes larger, the plant would be in shock as the roots would become weaker.
– Decoration Options
They make excellent porch plants, window plans, and bathroom plants. Owing to their simple growing nature, they also make good table plants.
The idea is to have a place in the house with enough humidity and where indirect, but full sunlight is accessible. For instance, a work table beside the window would make a splendid spot, as you would admire the colors of the foliage, of one leaf being red and the other being green.
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9. Red Star
The Red star, Cordyline australe, also called Cabbage Palm or Cabbage tree, is a tropical houseplant that belongs to the same Cordyline genus as the Ti plant and is often confused for each other, however the Red star predominantly has red leaves, with occasional green leaves at the base.
– Growth Requirements
The Red Star is a relatively easy plant to grow, capable of adapting to several soil types, drought-tolerant and slightly cold-tolerant. From full direct sunlight to partial shade, the Red star can easily grow successfully.
In their early years, Red stars are susceptible to damage by cold. Tying the leaves in a bunch helps them survive the winter with ease.
– Decoration Options
The best way to explore decorations with the Red star is by accenting it. To adhere to the latter, you must consider lining them on the porch steps or placing them on all the windows in the living room. Overall, in this case, the aim would be to accent a feature in the home rather than making them the center of attraction.
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10. Angel Wing Begonias
Begonia coralline, known colloquially as the Cane begonia or the Angel wing begonia, is a beautiful begonia houseplant known for its green and red leaves, which resemble angel wings. They make perfect desk plants, requiring little maintenance and adequate sunlight, and this is why they are loved.
– Growth Requirements
Angel wing begonias grow best in moderate temperatures under bright and indirect sunlight. If you’re not interested in flowers, consider growing them in places with partial shade rather than full indirect light.
Remember that fertilizers should be applied sparingly, once or twice a week. Basically, a rule of thumb is to only water the plant when the soil is just beginning to lose its moisture. Remember to have a moist soil, but not water-clogged, is an important aspect in its growth.
– Decoration Options
Without a doubt, they make great desk plants, the reason is that they fit perfectly by windows that do not receive direct sunlight and naturally lighted passageways. Although they enjoy moderate temperatures and relative humidity, but you should note that they do not make good bathroom plants.
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11. Poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima, better known as Poinsettia or Christmas star, is a medium-sized house plant that is known for its green leaves with red bracts.
– Growing Requirements
Poinsettia grows well in well-drained soil that’s watered only when the soil surface is dry, you can test this by simply placing your index finger on top of the soil and checking the humidity. Note that they enjoy partial shade or full indirect sunlight, but hate strong breezes or cold air.
These are annuals, and you must plant them to enjoy the best from them. This way, you can grow the Poinsettia as a 10-inch plant. Ideally, fertilizers should be applied only in spring, which is also the best time to plant them.
– Decoration Options
Apart from the bathroom, places away from direct breeze and sunlight are good places to have Poinsettia. Because of how the leaves and bracts produce their colors, certain families love to plant Poinsettia as a Christmas plant with red and green leaves.
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12. Emerald Ripple
Emerald ripple, Peperomia caperata, is an evergreen green and red houseplant that thrives in temperate climates. It’s easy to care for and makes an ideal desk or office plant.
– Growth Requirements
The emerald ripple grows well with partial to full shade, making them ideal for spaces that receive little or filtered sunlight.
They cannot tolerate damp or very dry soil. Irrigating this plant should be done once the soil has completely dries out, and not before and nor too long after. They may grow up to eight inches in height and only require little to medium humidity.
– Decoration Options
You can place this beautiful plant beside a window with transparent blinds or curtains is ideal for it. And this aspect is the reason that makes it the perfect desk plants, and it can also be hung using pots on a porch or a covered verandah at the back of the home.
If the wrinkled nature of the leaves is unappealing, consider their close cousins, Peperomia rubella.
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13. Moon Cactus
Moon cactus, Gymocalcium mihanovichii, is a little plant that’s super easy to cultivate and maintain, a must-have for people who love miniature cactus plants. Home to South America, these little shade-loving houseplants can be grown all year round indoors. Here is how:
– Growth Requirement
With an average height just shy of five centimeters, small pots that allow soil draining are ideal. Indirect sunlight, full or partial, is okay. Although, the moon cactus prefers full and indirect sunlight.
Watering should be done when the soil is dried out. The moon cactus abhors soil clogged with water. During the winter, you can avoid watering the plant
– Decoration Options
Any relatively dry place in the home with access to indirect and full sunlight is perfect, by the window facing the North or South, for instance. They make good passage plants in well-lit passages or desk plants in desks that receive full and indirect sunlight.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, a green and red leaf plant is a plant with foliage that appears green and red, sometimes hot pink.
Here is a recap of what we’ve discussed so far:
- Some red and green houseplants have green leaves turning red due to lack of sunlight, others have distinct green and red leaves, and the rest have a mix of both on each leaf like the Red Anjamani, Siam aurora.
- There are different options to decorate your house using plants as all of them have beautiful green and red leaves, but each have a unique property.
- You can always add an Emerald Ripple in your living room or maybe even office, as it will give the place a unique aesthetic.
Many options are available for several climates. We’ve collated the best options, how to grow them, and decoration options for you, so which indoor plant are you going to try out this season?
References
- https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/11858
- http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scened50f.html
- https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/polka-dot-plant.aspx
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cordyline-fruticosa/
- https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/11866
- https://www.thejoyofplants.co.uk/fittonia
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dracaena-marginata/
- https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/110354
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=242218&isprofile=0&
- https://www.thejoyofplants.co.uk/how-grow-happy-flamingo-flower-anthurium
- https://www.gardenia.net/plant/euphorbia-pulcherrima
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b553
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/peperomia-caperata/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnocalycium_mihanovichii
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