Houseplants with Red and Green Leaves: A Colorful Addition to Your Home
With their vibrant hues and eye-catching foliage, houseplants featuring red and green leaves can add a touch of drama and beauty to any indoor space. From tropical species to low-maintenance succulents, there is a wide range of plants to choose from, each with its unique characteristics and care requirements.
Tropical Beauties
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Red Aglaonema: This easy-growing plant boasts deep red or pink leaves that add a splash of color to any room. It prefers bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Burgundy Rubber Tree: A tall, fast-growing specimen, the burgundy rubber tree gets its name from the dark red tones on its new growth and leaf undersides. It thrives in bright indirect light and consistently moist soil.
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Red King Aglaonema: This Chinese evergreen cultivar offers lush tropical foliage splashed with deep pink or red. It prefers bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Triostar Stromanthe: A member of the prayer plant family, this plant is known for its white, green, and red coloration. It grows best in high humidity and bright indirect light.
Succulent Delights
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Red Twist Peperomia: Also called red log peperomia, this unique variety has deep red stems and ovate green leaves tinged with red on their undersides. It prefers medium to bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Red Fittonia: Known for its web of thin red veins on small green leaves, red fittonia is a humidity-loving specimen that grows well in a terrarium. It prefers bright indirect light and evenly moist soil.
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Red Pagoda Jade Plant: This stunning jade cultivar develops fiery red foliage when exposed to plenty of direct sunlight. It prefers bright indirect or direct sunlight and well-draining soil.
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Jelly Bean Plant: With several hours of full sun, these cute, drought-tolerant succulents will develop red tips on their shiny, bean-shaped green leaves. They prefer direct sunlight and well-draining soil.
Variegated Wonders
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Tricolor Rubber Plant: Variegated rubber plants offer a mix of cream-colored foliage splashed with light and dark green, with new leaves emerging dark pink or red before fading to their mature color. They prefer bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Calathea Dottie: This unique calathea’s oval-shaped leaves are edged with feathery areas of pale to dark pink that appear almost red. It prefers medium to bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Calathea Rosy: Another striking pink calathea, calathea rosy’s leaves are mostly pink, with dark green edging and a red vein running down the center. It prefers medium to bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Peperomia Jelly: This variegated peperomia cultivar develops red edges on its cream and green leaves when grown in bright light. It prefers bright indirect light and moist soil.
Unique and Rare
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Hoya Rosita: This rare hybrid hoya is known for its long, pointed leaves, which turn red when stressed by lots of bright, indirect light. It prefers bright indirect light and well-draining soil.
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Red Star Bromeliad: Also called earth stars, these lush bromeliads feature lance-shaped leaves striped with dark green and shades of red ranging from burgundy to bright pink. They prefer medium to bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Cryptanthus bivittatus: Another type of bromeliad, Cryptanthus bivittatus boasts dark green leaves with burgundy to bright pink stripes. It prefers medium to bright indirect light and moist soil.
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Venus Flytrap: This carnivorous plant recreates the boggy conditions of its native habitat by bottom watering with rainwater or distilled water. It prefers bright indirect or direct sunlight and consistently moist soil.
Tips for Care
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Light: Most plants with red and green leaves prefer bright indirect light, but some, like succulents and the Venus flytrap, can tolerate direct sunlight.
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Water: Water requirements vary depending on the species, but in general, most plants with red and green leaves prefer moist soil. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot.
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Humidity: Many tropical plants with red and green leaves, such as aglaonemas and calatheas, thrive in high humidity. Consider using a humidifier or misting the leaves regularly.
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Fertilizer: Fertilize plants with red and green leaves every few months during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
With proper care, these colorful houseplants will add a touch of vibrancy and beauty to your home for years to come.
