Alternanthera Amaranthaceae Joseph’s Coat
Enthusiastically branching, bushy plants with leaves of many colors, and convolutions, like small, contorted coleus. They’re often kept dwarfed by regular shearing, so the white flowers seldom form.
amoena—Bushlet with crisp, oval leaves haphazardly daubed with bright shades of red and orange. It seldom tops four inches.
bettzickiana—Tongue-shaped leaves blotched with cream, yellow, salmon, and red. This is the one that’s used for formal carpet bedding. Its green-and-gold variety, aurea nana, makes a round three-inch mound.
versicolor—A gnome with gnarled, wrinkled leaves. It is basically green but brightened with shocking pink and white. It can grow six inches high, but stays lower if pinched regularly.
CARE. Full sun (for best color), warmth, average soil kept moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings, division of roots.
SPECIAL USES. Artificial light, dish gardens, model landscapes, terrariums.
Anthurium scherzerianum Araceae Flamingo Flower
This is a baby in a family predominantly of giants, but it won’t outgrow a three-inch pot for years. This exotic tropical plant has leaves like varnished green shields and flowers like a golden Jack preaching from a flamingo-pink pulpit.