Purple & Green Houseplant: Stromanthe TriColor

Hi Judy! I recently bought a houseplant from someone on Craigslist, but he didn’t know what type it was. It has long leaves with a purple-red underside, and a green upper side, with white veins. He said it might be an African plant, but I can’t seem to find anything that looks like it on the internet. Do you recognize it?

Hi Juliana,

Your plant is called a Stromanthe TriColor.

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Stromanthe TriColor

Stromanthe sanguinea (sometimes referred to as Tricolor or Triostar Stromanthe), is a plant native to the rain forests of Brazil. This variety of the Stromanthe Plant has beautiful leaves in different shades of white, red, pink, and green. Stromanthe Plants make a great plant to give as a Christmas present if you’re tired of Poinsettias. A Stromanthe Plant can be grown indoor or outdoors, but will not survive a hard freeze. Since a Stromanthe Plant is a relative of the Prayer Plant and a member of the Maranta family, its leaves fold up at night as though praying. Stromanthe Plants produce reddish pink flowers in the spring, but they can’t compete with this plants dazzling leaves. A Stromanthe Plant is a spectacular looking plant, but challenging to grow, definitely not for beginners.

Light: Place a Stromanthe Plant in bright indirect light but no direct sun, a north or east window is best.

Water: Soil of a Stromanthe Plant likes to be barely moist at all times. Be careful not to over-water or the roots rot and the plant dies. In winter, allow the soil to dry out a little more, but never completely.

fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.: Feed a Stromanthe every two weeks when the plant is producing new leaves, usually from early spring to the end of fall. Always dilute the plant food to 1/2 the recommended strength.

Temperature: Avoid placing a Stromanthe in a cold or hot draft.

Humidity: A Stromanthe needs high humidity to keep its beautiful leaves looking good. If your house is dry, place a Stromanthe on a wet pebble tray. Be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water. Stromanthe Plant leaves turn brown and become crisp when the air is too dry.

Flowering: A Tricolor Stromanthe produces reddish-orange flowers in the Spring.

You can read all of my care tips on how to grow a Stromanthe TriColor in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.

http://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/stromanthe-plant-how-to-grow-care