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Joseph's Coat

Alternanthera dentata (al-ter-NANTH-ur-uh den-TAY-tuh)

Family: Amaranthaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

'Brazilian Red Hots' is a cultivar of Joseph's coat with striking bright red to hot pink variegated leaves. It grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and 18 inches wide with a mounding habit. Plant in moist, organically rich soil with good drainage. It will grow in sun to partial shade, but the best leaf color occurs in full sun. 'Brazilia Red Hots' not only refers to the red hot leaves, but the plant itself loves heat and humidity. They are drought-tolerant once established and do best if they are planted in the early spring. Cut it back lightly in late spring and again in late summer to promote fresh bushy growth. Use as a container plant or as a bedding plant in a cottage garden. Great for use on the patio in the summer or nestled into the garden to provide a pop of additional color, or along the front of a border. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. More information on Alternanthera dentata .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 38 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Alternanthera dentata Alternanthera ficoidea Euphorbia hypericifolia Breathless™ Group

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Mounding
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Variegated
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Lance-shaped leaves that have blotches of hot pink and purple.
Flower color
White
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small white ball shaped flowers in fall
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South America
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#upright form #tropical herbaceous perennial #showy leaves #pink leaves #red leaves #container plant #heat tolerant #border front #humidity tolerant #cottage garden #fast growing #drought tolerant annual #variegated #patio
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Heat; Humidity

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.