Strobilanthes alternata

Purple Waffle Plant, Waffle Plant, Red Ivy, Red-Flame Ivy, Metal Leaf Plant

Easy careTerrestrialNon-toxic1525 cm

Native to the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, Strobilanthes alternata — widely sold under its older name Hemigraphis alternata — is a low-growing groundcover of the acanthus family with some of the most striking foliage at this scale. The upper leaf surface is dark green overlaid with a silver metallic sheen that shifts under different angles of light, while the undersides are a deep reddish-purple; the whole surface is deeply puckered in the quilted texture that gives it the common name Waffle Plant. It does best in the warm, consistently moist, high-humidity conditions of a closed terrarium, where it spreads readily to form a dense foreground cover. Stems root at every node they touch, making it effectively self-propagating in a well-kept enclosure.

Build a terrarium with this plant
Purple Waffle Plant image

Photo by kumarkv·CC BY 4.0

Care

Light

Indirect light(preferred)Shade tolerant

Humidity

High (60–80%)(preferred)Medium (40–60%)

Temperature

10°C25°C40°C
10°C27°C

Soil

Moisture retentive(preferred)LoamyPeat moss

Moisture

Moist(preferred)

Soil pH

6.1 – 6.9

Appearance

Growth habit

CreepingTrailing

Leaf shape

OvalHeart

Leaf texture

CrinkledFuzzy

Distribution

Propagation

Take a 10–15 cm tip cutting with at least one node and remove the lower leaves before inserting into moist potting mix or directly into terrarium substrate. Keep warm (22–26 °C) and in bright indirect light — roots develop quickly, usually within seven to ten days. The plant roots at every node it touches, so in a humid closed terrarium cuttings will often root without any intervention beyond laying them on the substrate.

References

  1. 1

    Kew Plants of the World Online — Strobilanthes alternata (accepted name)

    https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77147688-1
  2. 2

    Kew Plants of the World Online — Hemigraphis alternata (synonym)

    https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:49397-1
  3. 3
  4. 4

    NC State Extension — Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica'

    https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/strobilanthes-alternata-exotica/
  5. 5

    Dennerle Plants — Hemigraphis alternata 'Exotica' (terrarium specialist)

    https://dennerleplants.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Hemigraphis-alternata-'Exotica'-(30606)/30949
  6. 6

    Grokipedia — Strobilanthes alternata

    https://grokipedia.com/page/Strobilanthes_alternata
  7. 7

    Garden Pals — Purple Waffle Plant care guide

    https://gardenpals.com/purple-waffle-plant/
  8. 8

    PlantCareToday — Purple Waffle Plant

    https://plantcaretoday.com/purple-waffle-plant.html
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11

    Bantam.earth — Purple Waffle vivarium care guide

    https://bantam.earth/purple-waffle-hemigraphis-alternata/
  12. 12

    Aquarium Plants Factory — Hemigraphis alternata (terrarium/vivarium)

    https://aquariumplantsfactory.com/products/hemigraphis-alternata