Acalypha wilkesiana (godseffiana)
Copper Leaf, Beefsteak
Plant, Match-me-if-you-can,
Firestorm, Dwarf Acalypha, Fire dragon; Jacobs coat
click on image to enlarge
Family: Euphorbiaceae. A very colorful tropical shrub grown for its
attractive reddish leaves. Beautiful foliage of mixed shades of red,
yellow and green. Leaves, much smaller than ordinary copperleafs, are
orange/red in the full sun & mostly variegated/green in the shade.
The more sun the more color the leaves will get. Fast growing. A native
of the East Indies and the Pacific, this is one of the most striking
foliage shrubs and is widely used by tropical gardeners. Cultivars of
A. wilkesiana, which can grow as tall as 2 metres, are found in a wide
variety of colors: green and white, green and yellow, red, bronze,
coppery, or brown. The leaves also vary in form, some being flat and
others undulating, while the flowers are inconspicuous.
In a garden, where they are often used as informal hedges or in massed
beds, all Acalypha species require full sun, well-drained soil, and
careful pruning to prevent them from becoming leggy. They are easily
propagated by cuttings.
FAMILY : Euphorbiaceae
ORIGIN : Fiji
SIZE : up to10'
LIGHT : full sun
WATER : tolerates dry conditions
MIN. TEMP. : 35F