Looking to add a new houseplant to your indoor garden, but want to make sure it has has a bit of red in the leaves? There are many different houseplants that will fit this criteria, so picking the right one will come down to ease of care, indoor location, and of course, looks! In this article, we look at our favorite houseplants with red leaves or red variegated leaves!
Adding a new houseplant to any collection can bring challenges, especially when trying to pick a plant that will stand out from the rest. Yes, many indoor gardeners stick with the most common houseplants (which are beautiful) but can lack a little bit of interest. Adding a houseplant with red leaves, or some red leaf variegation to your collection might be exactly what your indoor garden needs.
One of the first considerations when looking for a houseplant with red leaves is to look around your home or office, as well as your lifestyle, and decide what kind of plant you want. For example, you may need something low-maintenance, or you want to take advantage of an area in your home with high ceilings by adding a taller houseplant.
Obviously looks are one of the main factors for any indoor gardener. As such, we’ve hand picked this list of beautiful red leafed houseplants for indoor gardens. You’ll find many indoor friendly plants with red leaves, as well as many that are green with red variegation. Let’s dig in!
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Aglaonema ‘Valentine’
Scientific Name: Aglaonema Commutatum
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Asian Subtropics and Tropics
- Plant Size: 36″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
The leaves of this plant have an ovate shape with a pink and red middle with green splotches giving way to smooth green edges. These plants also made NASA’s list of air-purifying plants by scrubbing benzene and formaldehyde toxins.
As with the other cultivars, choose a bright room without direct sunlight. All these plants prefer moist soil that drains well. Avoid letting the temperature drop below 65ºF.
‘Black Star’ Nerve Plant
Scientific Name: Fittonia albivenis ‘Black Star’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
- Plant Size: 12-36″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial/Full Shade
Variegated evergreen leaves with dark red veins give this Fittonia cultivar its distinctive appearance. This plant gets taller than most of the others. They love high humidity while they brighten up a shady corner of your home.
Water regularly enough to prevent withering. Use loamy soil, full of organic matter, for good drainage.
Blushing Bromeliad
Scientific Name: Neoregelia Carolinae
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Brazil
- Plant Size: 12″ -18″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
A bromeliad usually grows on trees like an orchid in its natural habitat. However, in a home, they make great bathroom plants. The red leaves in the center are the reason people like these houseplants.
These plants thrive in bright light but don’t need too much direct sunlight. Fill the central vase on the plant with water and keep the soil damp. Use one part of peat, bark, sand, or perlite to make well-draining soil.
Burgundy Ficus
Scientific Name: Ficus elastica ‘Burgundy’
- Plant Type: Broadleaf Evergreen
- Geographic Origin: Tropics of India and Malaysia
- Plant Size: 6′-10′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Bright, Indirect Light
The Burgundy Ficus is relatively easy to care for as a houseplant. Plenty of bright and indirect light along with a decent amount of water is really all it needs to thrive.
It has thick, glossy, dark green leaves that are lined with red veins. They change in color as the plant grows and matures.
Bush on Fire
Scientific Name: Codiaeum Variegatum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and Western Pacific Islands
- Plant Size: 3′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Not many plants get a detailed study, but the Bush on Fire did. This Croton cultivar thrives in 50% sun and shade.
Lanceolate (lance-shaped) dark red leaves with green, yellow, and orange highlights swirl up like flames licking the air, hence the name. Use soil that drains well. Keep the soil damp, but don’t allow standing water to form to discourage root rot.
Caladium Bicolor ‘Florida Red Ruffles’
Scientific Name: Caladium Bicolor
- Plant Type: Tropical Perennial
- Geographic Origin: Latin America
- Plant Size: 12″ -18″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun/Shade
The patented Florida Red Ruffles has a lance-shaped leaf with a stunning shade of red in the middle and green around the edges. These plants can tolerate good sunlight. You can set this plant up to change a room’s sunlight to Earthy light.
Water regularly, but don’t keep the soil moist constantly. Use good soil along with a pot that allows for adequate drainage. This plant likes the soil to dry out between waterings.
Caladium Bicolor ‘Florida Sweetheart’
Scientific Name: Caladium Bicolor
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Annual
- Geographic Origin: Latin America
- Plant Size: 12″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade/Shade
The Florida Sweetheart boasts rosy leaves with smooth green edges. People call the plants Elephant Ears due to their distinctive shape, and they thrive in containers or hanging baskets.
Caladiums prefer a soil called “loam.”
Use a well-draining container. Keep the plant in a warm area that doesn’t drop below 70°F. Add liquid fertilizer once a month or so.
Caladium Bicolor ‘Red Flash’
Scientific Name: Caladium Bicolor
- Plant Type: Tuberous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: Latin America
- Plant Size: 18″ -30″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Huge heart-shaped leaves with veins that shoot out in a star-pattern help the Red Flash stand out. The leaves are red in the middle, with red and pink speckling farther out until the edges turn completely olive-green.
Since this plant gets relatively large, use an adequate container for the size. Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves. Instead, let the plant brighten up an indirectly lit part of a room.
Ensure the soil drains well, but this plant does not like the soil to dry out between waterings.
Caladium ‘Bombshell’
Scientific Name: Caladium Bicolor
- Plant Type: Tropical Perennial
- Geographic Origin: Latin America
- Plant Size: 10″ -18″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Shade
Perfect for well-lit rooms, the Bombshell has bright red leaves of the Fancy Leaf variety with smooth green edges. These houseplants work best in pots and planters.
Use well-draining soil and avoid materials like clay, unless you use peat moss or coconut coir to break up the clumps and allow good drainage. Add fertilizer monthly.
Usually not a problem indoors, these plants like locations that shelter them from the wind.
‘Confetti Blush’ Freckle Face Plant
Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya ‘Confetti Blush’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Madagascar, South Africa, and Southeast Asia,
- Plant Size: 6″ -12″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
This plant has thin green leaves with red or pink spots people associate with freckles. These plants are perfect for compact shady areas. The roots prefer well-draining soil to stay moist but not stay too wet.
Creeping Inch Plant
Scientific Name: Callisia Repens’ Pink Panther’
- Plant Type: Forb
- Geographic Origin: Mediterranean
- Plant Size: 2″ -4″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full/Partial Sun
This plant has a lot of small green to pink to rosy ovate leaves. The growth pattern is trailing and looks great on ledges.
Simulate humidity by misting the plant. Use fast-draining soil, including something like peat. Let the soil surface dry between waterings, whether in a container or hanging basket.
Emerald Ripple Red
Scientific Name: Peperomia Caperata
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Brazil
- Plant Size: 6″ -8″
- Water Needs: Low
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
Plants with Peperomia in the name usually get called Radiator Plants because of the way they spread out. These houseplants retain water and live underneath a tropical canopy in the wild.
Use loose soil with good drainage and add water infrequently when the soil feels barely damp.
Firebrand Cordyline
Scientific Name: Cordyline Fruticosa Firebrand
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Australia
- Plant Size: 15′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
These large plants have lance-shaped leaves with streaks of red in the middle and on the margins. Use loose soil for good drainage. Follow the rule of thumb of feeling the soil for moisture about an inch down.
Fittonia
Scientific Name: Fittonia Albivenis
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: South American Rainforests
- Plant Size: 6″
- Water Needs: High
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Some pictures of this plant only show green leaves. The green leaf variety is Fittonia argyroneura, which will never have red leaves. Get Fittonia gigantea or Fittonia verschaffeltii to enjoy the red to pink veins throughout the leaves.
Fittonias reward owners with their beauty packed into a compact size, but they are difficult to keep healthy. For example, the soil should drain well and maintain a pH of about 6.5.
The temperature shouldn’t drop below 70°F, and they need humidity. Spray the leaves with water if necessary. Keep the soil moist without standing water.
Hippo Red Polka Dot Plant
Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya ‘Hippo Red’
- Plant Type: Annual
- Geographic Origin: Madagascar
- Plant Size: 16″-22″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full Shade to Partial Shade
The Hippo Red Polka Dot Plant has black foliage that is speckled with red and green. It is commonly grown as a filler in container gardens for its extravagant foliage.
These plants are low-maintenance and do not require any deadheading. Polka dot plants are easy to propagate, even though they take a little longer to do it compared to other plants. They do need to be properly spaced out to provide proper airflow.
Imperial Red Philodendron
Scientific Name:
- Plant Type: Tropical Evergreen
- Geographic Origin: Rainforests of Central and South America
- Plant Size: 2′-4′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Bright, Indirect Light
Imperial Philodendrons have become one of the more popular compact tropical evergreens. They do not vine like other philodendrons and prefer to grow laterally. These are also self-heading, the leaves forming compact rosettes.
The Imperial Red is very similar to the Red Congo, but with a few distinguishing factors. Imperial Reds have reddish leaves that turn a dark burgundy and then dark green upon maturity. When in the wild, they can produce reddish-purple flowers.
Growing an Imperial Red Philodendron is easy when you can provide warm temperatures, bright shade, consistent moisture, and plenty of humidity. These conditions mimic its original habitat in the tropics.
Inch Plant ‘Quadricolor’
Scientific Name: Tradescantia Zebrina ‘Quadricolor’
- Plant Type: Forb
- Geographic Origin: Mexico
- Plant Size: 10″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
The Quadricolor is a trailing plant, perfect for ledges, with striped purple, pink, silver, and green leaves. Water regularly, as needed, if you feel the soil go dry. Prevent root rot with well-draining soil that doesn’t allow standing water.
‘Juanita’ Mosaic Plant
Scientific Name: Fittonia albivenis ‘Juanita’
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial, Creeper
- Geographic Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
- Plant Size: 12″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial/Full Shade
The red appearance of these leaves comes from red veins on evergreen leaves. The plant stays pretty small, and so do the leaves. These make better plants for a partially shaded area where you want to inject some green and red foliage.
The soil needs to be loamy and drain well. Keep temperatures at 65ºF and above. They tolerate high humidity well.
Lance-Leaf Caladium
Scientific Name: Caladium’ Red Frill’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Latin America
- Plant Size: 14″
- Water Needs: High
- Sun Exposure: Shade/Partial Shade
The Lance-Leaf has large heart-shaped leaves with a deep red color with thin green margins. You can use a hanging basket or container with soil such as peat for drainage. Water as often as needed to keep the soil moist.
Lilinoe Cordyline
Scientific Name: Cordyline Fruticosa ‘Lilinoe’
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: SE Asia & Papua New Guinea
- Plant Size: 4’-6′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Lilinoe variety is also a medicinal plant. The long, red leaves also get used as ornamental clothing and headdresses.
Use loam with good compost as the soil. Root rot is a major concern, so stick your finger in the soil to test the moisture.
Mammy Red
Scientific Name: Codiaeum Variegatum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Monoecious Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and Western Pacific Islands
- Plant Size: 42″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
If somebody ever walks up to you and says, “Do you like Crotons?” They are talking about this type of plant, not a baked bread crumb. The long, curly leaves display red, green, yellow, and orange patterns. The color combination makes the plant look fiery.
These plants prefer warm temperatures and don’t react well if the temperature drops below 60°F. Keep well-draining loamy soil damp without too much water.
Moses-in-a-Basket
Scientific Name: Tradescantia Spathacea’ Variegated Dwarf’
- Plant Type: Perennial Forb
- Geographic Origin: Central America
- Plant Size: 12″ -20″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade/Sun
This plant has long variegated green and purple leaves with splashes of pink and magenta.
Choose loamy soil to prevent the common problem of root rot. You can use a shallow container because the roots don’t go deep.
Nervia
Scientific Name: Codiaeum Variegatum
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and Western Pacific Islands
- Plant Size: 36″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Nervia can grow to be massive three-meter tall plants in their native environment but are usually a meter indoors. The leaves are variegated and semi-oak in shape. Some leaves will be green, and others can be red to purple.
Keep the plant in a well-lit room that doesn’t drop below 65ºF. Any well-draining soil will do but use a two-part peat mixture with perlite or sand for the best results. Keep the soil damp in summer.
‘Omaha Beefsteak’ Begonia
Scientific Name: Begonia Rex-Cultorum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: North Eastern India to China
- Plant Size: 6-12″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
If you’ve ever heard someone say something like, “that was my grandmother’s plant,” you may have been looking at an Omaha Beefsteak Begonia, a popular type of begonia you’ll find in many homes.
You can put these houseplants into containers or hanging planters. You need very fast-draining soil. Mix potting soil, aged compost, and vermiculite or pumice. Give plenty of water, but make sure proper drainage doesn’t allow any standing water. Keep the plant in a bright location with indirect light.
Peperomia Rubella
Scientific Name: Peperomia Rubella
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: Jamaica
- Plant Size: 4″ -6″
- Water Needs: Low
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun
This small plant also has red on the bottoms of the leaves. They love bright indirect light but can burn in direct sunlight.
Pick loamy soil with excellent drainage. Water in the morning and let the plant dry out during the day.
Philodendron Black Cardinal
Scientific Name: Philodendron Black Cardinal
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Tropics of Central and South America
- Plant Size: 2′-3′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
Another philodendron hybrid on our list is the Black Cardinal Philodendron. This rare beauty has deep red leaves that darken as they mature. The leaves are also different from the typical heart shape of other philodendrons. They are also self-heading, unlike other philodendron types.
The Black Cardinal grows to a very manageable size of about 3 feet. This makes is an excellent option for growing indoors, apart from its unique and beautiful coloring.
Polka dot ‘Carmina’
Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya ‘Carmina’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Madagascar, South Africa, and Southeast Asia
- Plant Size: 6″ -12″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
The red variety of Carmina has lime green leaves with the typical freckles colored red or pink on curved ovate leaves.
Choose loamy soil for good drainage and keep everything below the top inch layer moist.
Red Anjamani
Scientific Name: Aglaonema
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Asian Subtropics and Tropics
- Plant Size: 36″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
The Red Anjamani is a highly decorative plant with ovate red to pink leaves. This plant is perfect for adding striking color to a bright room. Avoid direct sun, but these plants love plenty of indirect light.
Water more in the summer, avoid overhead watering and don’t let the soil dry out. Choose a well-draining pot and soil. Mist water on the leaves to simulate humidity if you live in a dry climate.
‘Red Anne’ Nerve Plant
Scientific Name: Fittonia albivenis ‘Red Anne’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
- Plant Size: 4-6″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
With some, but not all, plants, you can use a plant calculator to determine water amounts. The Red Anne works out to .8 cups every nine days without direct sunlight and .9 cups every seven days with direct sunlight.
This plant also has red veins in the leaves. You need well-draining soil such as coconut coir or vermiculite for the best health and growth.
‘Red Bull’ Begonia
Scientific Name: Begonia Rex-Cultorum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: North Eastern India to China
- Plant Size: 6″
- Water Needs: Moderate to High
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
These houseplants have dark red leaves with some white around the veins. The range of colors can be purplish red, black blotches, and a reddish-brown border.
These begonias are sensitive to root rot. Pay the most attention to soil aeration and maintain dampness without enough water to hurt the plant. Use coconut coir and similar materials to create fast-draining soil.
Red Congo Philodendron
Scientific Name: Philodendron Rojo Congo
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: South America
- Plant Size: 5′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full/Partial Shade
If you have experience with philodendrons, you may associate them with a climbing or vining habit, not the Red Congo. This plant grows like normal plants with long, broad, evergreen unfurling leaves. When young, the leaves have a soothing, fiery red color that changes with age.
This plant makes a perfect home decoration due to being sensitive to cold and heat. Right in the 70º-80ºF range, where most people keep their homes, is perfect for this plant. Use a container with soil that drains well.
‘Red Kiss’ Begonia
Scientific Name: Begonia Rex-Cultorum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: North Eastern India to China
- Plant Size: 8″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Red Kisses have striking red and green leaves with pink centers that alternate on fleshy stems. The leaf margins vary from dark pink to black. The plant grows low and creeps.
Use well-draining soil that you keep moist. Let the water flow through, making sure there is no standing water. The target temperature is 70°F and 50% humidity. Spray on water if necessary.
‘Red Log’ Peperomia
Scientific Name: Peperomia Verticillata
- Plant Type: Succulent Herb
- Geographic Origin: Bolivia
- Plant Size: 12″
- Water Needs: Low
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
As the Latin word Verticillata indicates, this plant looks a bit hairy. The undersides of the leaves are red with green tops.
Use loamy soil, and remember that as a succulent, you can easily over-water this plant. As with most peperomias, it’s fairly easy to care for.
Red Moon Cactus
Scientific Name: Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii
- Plant Type: Perennial Cactus
- Geographic Origin: Northeast Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia (Desert)
- Plant Size: 6″
- Water Needs: Very Light
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
This Moon Cactus cultivar lacks chlorophyll, resulting in the bright red color. If you’re looking for a window sill plant, get a Red Moon Cactus.
You only need to add water if you feel that the soil is completely dry. Use soil that drains well, as you don’t want any standing water with a cactus. Choose a window that receives morning sun as direct sustained sunlight burns the bulb.
‘Red Splash Select’
Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya ‘Red Splash Select’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Madagascar, South Africa, and Southeast Asia,
- Plant Size: 6″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
This plant goes by the common name, Polka Dot Plant. They feature ovate leaves with green freckles. You can use containers or hanging baskets. Add enough water to keep well-draining soil moist.
‘Red Star’ Nerve Plant
Scientific Name: Fittonia albivenis Red Star’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
- Plant Size: 12″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial/Full Shade
Several other Fittonia leaves have a warm, red glow because of the veins. Not the Red Star. The leaves are vibrant and bright pink to red, including the veins. Like the other varieties, keep the humidity high.
Choose loamy soil and ensure that the container will allow for good drainage. If the plant gets no direct sunlight, add enough water to feel some dampness when testing the soil.
‘Revelation Maroon’ Begonia
Scientific Name: Begonia Rex-Cultorum
- Plant Type: Annual
- Geographic Origin: North Eastern India to China
- Plant Size: 30″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial/Full Shade
The Revelation Maroon is a hybrid trailing plant. Most people describe the leaves as having a deep burgundy color, shiny, with green veins. You can use a container or hanging basket.
Choose a soil that drains well, and be prepared to add a lot of water if you feel the soil getting dry. Standing water causes root rot, but you need to keep the soil damp.
Rubra Cordyline
Scientific Name: Cordyline Fruticosa Rubra
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Australia
- Plant Size: 10′
- Water Needs: High
- Sun Exposure: Full/Partial Sun
Plants with the name Cordyline also go by the name Ti Plant. They are important medicinal plants in their native zone.
Keep these houseplants well-watered. They come from wet zones. Test the soil often, and don’t water if you feel moisture.
Ruby Ficus
Scientific Name: Ficus elastica ‘Ruby’
- Plant Type: Tropical Evergreen Tree
- Geographic Origin: Tropics of India and Malaysia
- Plant Size: 6′-10′
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Bright, Indirect Light
The rose-tinted leaves of the Ruby Ficus are sure to be a topic of conversation in any home. Marked in red, dark pink, and cream, the ovate leaves of this houseplant are quite impressive in nature. They are also referred to as variegated Rubber Tree.
Planting your Ruby Ficus where it can receive plenty of bright, indirect light will help to keep it red. Some variations are darker than others.
Saint Andrew’s Cross
Scientific Name: Crassula Capitella
- Plant Type: Succulent
- Geographic Origin: Southern Africa
- Plant Size: 6″
- Water Needs: Low
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
This stunning plant is a branched succulent, and the leaves go from green to red and spin out in a propeller-like shape.
You can use a container or hanging basket that drains well. The plant is drought resistant so add water when the soil is dry.
Siam Aurora
Scientific Name: Aglaonema
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: Asian Subtropics and Tropics
- Plant Size: 36″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
People commonly refer to these plants as Chinese Evergreens as a generic name. As with many species we’ve seen, there are many cultivars to choose between.
The oval-shaped leaves can get up to a foot long and show red, white, and green colors. These plants also can grow stalks as they age that appear tree-like, similar to a Yucca.
They do well in containers but only with damp, well-draining soil consisting of peat with perlite or sand.
‘Stained Glass’ Begonia
Scientific Name: Begonia’ Cathedral’
- Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial
- Geographic Origin: North Eastern India to China
- Plant Size: 12″ -18″
- Water Needs: Moderate to Heavy
- Sun Exposure: Partial to Full Shade
The Stained Glass Begonia is a beautiful droopy plant with ruby red leaves showing black veins, surrounded by bluish-white edges. The shapes of the leaves resemble tiny cups with wavy edges.
Choose soil such as peat moss to encourage excellent drainage. Bright rooms work great, but direct sunlight burns the leaves. Keep the soil moist. The top layer down to an inch can go dry.
Variegated Red Edged Radiator Plant
Scientific Name: Peperomia Clusiifolia’ Jelly’
- Plant Type: Perennial Herb
- Geographic Origin: West Indies & Venezuela
- Plant Size: 6″ -8″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The name Jelly is due to this plant having plush leaves people find attractive. You can see green tops that give way to pink and red edges and bottoms.
These plants resist drought by storing water in their leaves, so you can water when the soil feels dry.
Wandering Jew
Scientific Name: Tradescantia Zebrina ‘Purpusii’
- Plant Type: Forb
- Geographic Origin: Mexico
- Plant Size: 6″ -12″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
This plant has stunning green and burgundy variegated leaves that grow pink flowers.
You can use a container or a hanging basket with very well-draining loamy soil. You only need to add water if you can’t feel moisture an inch into the soil.
Zanzibar Croton
Scientific Name: Codiaeum Variegatum
- Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub
- Geographic Origin: Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and Western Pacific Islands
- Plant Size:” 24-36″
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Whereas other Crotons have lanceolate leaves or similar shapes, the Zanzibar Croton looks like green, red, and orange grass. These plants appreciate being near a water feature. Gentle water mistings or a glass of water nearby will help.
Use light, easily draining soil. Heavy soils hold more water and lead to root rot. Despite this plant’s love of humidity, keep the soil damp, but don’t over-water.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have a bright shadowy, cool, warm, hot, dry, or humid home, there is a plant with red leaves that is perfect for you. You can have a tall plant if you have high ceilings or a tiny plant to brighten a window.
So you have all these options plus the ability to get something low maintenance if you’re short on time. Most plants also clean the air we breathe, so make your space more beautiful and add a little red today!
