Iresine sp. (Beefsteak Plant)

Botanical name: Iresine sp.

Common names: Beefsteak Plant, Chicken Gizzard, Blood Leaf

Family: Amaranthaceae

Origin: Brazil

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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Evergreen shrub, up to 3 feet tall. Abundant water when actively growing, moderate the rest of the time. "Blood Leaf" bright purplish-red "Beet" or "Beefsteak" oval puckered leaves, with notched tips, on red-maroon stems forming dense bushes. Traditional window-sill plant, Iresine Herbstii Acuminata or "Painted Bloodleaf". Sharply pointed blood red leaves with carmine and liver-lilac veins and stems; an old favorite still much in demand. I.H. Aureo-Reticulata - "Chicken Gizzard Plant". Bright yellow-veined apple-green rounded leaves, with odd notched tips, accented by red-magenta petioles and stems. Old fashioned puckered foliage again popular among indoor gardeners.