Acalypha
Cat's tail
- Height × spread
- 1m – 2m × 1.5m – 1.5m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
There are around 430 forms of Acalypha and they may be annuals, herbaceous perennials, or even trees. They are all tender plants from the tropics. Some forms are grown as short-lived annuals in cold gardens. The most popular variety, Acalypha hispida, with its dangling "cat's tail" flowers, adds an exotic, sometimes wayward touch to the garden. Acalphya wilkesiana, known as Jacob's coat, is most commonly seen as a houseplant or a stalwart of conservatories. There are many cultivars. They all have large leaves splashed and patterned with colours in just about every shade but blue. This form does flower, but it is primarily used for its glorious foliage. They make good houseplants, taking a minimum temperature of 10C, but do need containment as they are, in character, shrubs and can grow to several metres in height.
- Flower colour
- Red
- Foliage colour
- Brown, Green, Red
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Bell
- Height
- 1m – 2m
- Spread
- 1.5m – 1.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Exotic garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, likes part shade
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, most are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Indoor light
- full, shade from hot sun at day height
- Indoor temperature
- 10C minimum temperature
- Use for
- Structural
- Hazards
- Yes, some poisonous
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Feed with houseplant food monthly
Give the plant a balanced houseplant feed monthly while in growth.
Where food elements are listed as three numeric values on the label representing in order Nitrogen(N)-Phosphorus(P)-Potassium(K), with percentage values for each, choose one where the values are more or less equal.
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Water to keep the soil moist
Water moderately from the period when growth starts (around April) until the early autumn (September).
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Spring - mid-late · Planting
Trim the plant
Trim the plant to give it a general tidy. This includes removing any lengthy or awkward shoots that make the plant look visually less attractive. Remove any spent flower heads at the same time.
Winter
Winter · Outdoors
Water moderately in winter
Water moderately.
Give a small amount of water so that the plant doesn't become flaccid (leaves lose their firmness and may droop or look lifeless), or dessicated, but do not saturate the compost or leave it standing in water.
Planting & general
Compost · Planting
Houseplant compost for repotting
Repot using any good quality house plant compost.
Indoor temperature · Planting
10C minimum temperature
This plant requires a minimum temperature of 10 Centigrade.
Indoor plant · Planting
Position in shade indoors
Keep this plant in a shady position away from sunlight, especially sunlight at the height of the day. It can be moved to a more open position during late autumn to mid spring.