Joseph's coat

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; morning sun and afternoon shade suit hot climates. Deep shade usually weakens the leaf colour.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Container plants may need daily checking in hot weather.

Soil

Well-drained soil enriched with compost; use a free-draining potting mix in containers.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, oval to narrowly oval leaves; cultivated forms combine green, yellow, cream, pink, copper or red in varying patterns.

Growth

Fast in warm weather

Care needed

Medium

• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant outside after frost danger has passed and nights are consistently warm.
• Water when the soil surface begins to dry; avoid leaving pots standing in water.
• Feed container plants monthly during active growth with a balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate.
• Apply a thin layer of mulch around bedding plants, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Move pots into bright, frost-free shelter before cold weather, or save young plants from cuttings.

Pruning. Pinch out shoot tips during spring and summer to encourage bushy growth. Trim lightly whenever stems become leggy or spread beyond their allotted space.

Early spring

Trim overwintered plants and take cuttings in a warm, bright indoor position.

Late spring

Gradually acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions, then plant out once frost danger has passed and nights are warm.

Early summer

Pinch growing tips to build dense edging or compact container plants.

Summer

Check moisture frequently and feed container plants monthly.

Late summer

Root cuttings to keep small plants through winter.

Autumn

In frost-prone areas, bring selected plants under cover before cold nights arrive.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants in bright light, water sparingly and avoid feeding unless they are actively growing.

• Clip into low, colourful edging along paths and the fronts of beds.
• Plant in repeating blocks for carpet bedding or geometric summer displays.
• Use around upright container plants to cover the pot surface with contrasting foliage.
• Combine with broad-leaved tropical plants to contrast fine texture with bold leaves.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Formal, Victorian, Modern courtyard and Hot border.

Plant it with: Coleus, Wax begonia, Impatiens, Dwarf canna, Pentas and Elephant's ear.

Wildlife: The small, inconspicuous flowers offer limited garden wildlife value; this is primarily a foliage plant.

• Cold damage: leaves blacken or collapse after chilling or frost; delay planting and bring retained plants into frost-free shelter.
• Root rot: yellowing and wilting in wet soil indicate trouble; improve drainage, empty saucers and let the surface dry slightly between waterings.
• Spider mites: fine webbing and stippled leaves are most likely under warm, dry cover; rinse leaf undersides and treat persistent infestations with a labelled insecticidal soap.
• Leggy growth or weak colour: move plants into brighter light gradually and pinch back stretched shoots.

Alternanthera ficoidea is not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. It is not a food plant, and eating foliage may still cause mild digestive upset.

• Joseph's coat amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor)

  An upright annual with much larger, alternate leaves, often brilliantly coloured near the top; Alternanthera ficoidea has small, opposite leaves and a low, branching habit.

• Bloodleaf (Iresine herbstii)

  Usually taller, with broader leaves, conspicuous contrasting veins and often a notch at the leaf tip.

• Brazilian joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana)

  Generally a much taller plant with larger leaves, commonly solid purple in garden forms, rather than the small-leaved, low mounds typical of Joseph's coat.

The common name Joseph's coat refers to the biblical coat of many colours, reflecting the plant's multicoloured foliage.

Propagation. Take non-flowering stem-tip cuttings in spring or summer, remove the lower leaves and root them in moist propagation mix in warm, bright conditions out of direct sun. Cuttings preserve the parent plant's leaf colour and pattern.

Accepted botanical name

Alternanthera ficoidea

In the US and Canada

Native in Puerto Rico. Introduced in Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Dominican Republic.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.