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Acalypha hispida
Also called Chenille plant, Philippine Medusa, Chenilleplant, Red Cattail, Red Hot Cattail, Bristly Copperleaf
In Singapore: Chenille Plant, Red Hot Cat's Tail, Red Cattail, Ekor Kuching, Buntut Kucing, Cat's Tail (Naturalised in Singapore)
Acalypha hispida, the chenille plant, is a flowering shrub in the spurge family, with fuzzy red catkins of female flowers that give it its name. It is best grown in bright, humid conditions, either outdoors in warm climates or as a houseplant elsewhere.
Acalypha hispida, the chenille plant, is a flowering shrub which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, the subfamily Acalyphinae, and the genus Acalypha. Acalypha is the fourth largest genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, and contains many plants native to Oceania.
When grown as a house plant, it needs bright light but not direct sunlight, and requires high humidity and a temperature of at least 61 °F (16 °C). It should be grown in a loose potting soil, rich in organic matter and sand, and must be kept well-watered during the spring and summer. Watering should be reduced somewhat in fall and winter. It is typically propagated from cuttings.
The clear latex is poisonous and can irritate the skin and mucous membranes (signs of intoxication do not appear until massive amounts of plants have been absorbed). Roots, leaves and flowers are used for medical purposes. The plant itself is very resistant to diseases, but with a certain vulnerability to aphids, which can colonise it and bring it to death.
Acalypha bipartita · Bastard Copperleaf · Acalypha ciliata · Golden falsenettle · Indian Copperleaf · Acalypha integrifolia · Zambezi Acalypha · Shrubby copperleaf · Acalypha psilostachya · Acalypha villicaulis · Jacob's Coat · Copperleaf
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acalypha hispida by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
