Other Names:  Wilkes' Acalypha, Copperleaf

Description:

Widely grown as an annual in colder areas, this variety will grow up to 4 feet in one season; in frost free areas it can become a large shrub; leaves in shades of copper, burgundy and bright red are impressive in the garden, or containers

Ornamental Features

Louisiana Red Copper Plant's attractive glossy heart-shaped leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning burgundy in color with showy scarlet variegation and tinges of coppery-bronze the rest of the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Louisiana Red Copper Plant is a multi-stemmed annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects
• Disease

Louisiana Red Copper Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Louisiana Red Copper Plant will grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Louisiana Red Copper Plant is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.