Chenille plant – Indoor House Plants

Chenille plant (Acalypha hispida) is a beautiful flowering plant. Chenille plants are erect, sparsely branched shrub that can get 6-12 ft high with a spread of 3-6 ft. Potted plants are kept considerably smaller. The evergreen leaves are oval, 4-9 inches long, 3-4 in (7.6-10 cm) wide, and pointed to the tips. This plant is dioecious, meaning that the staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers are on separate plants. The pistillate flowers are purple, bright red or crimson, and clustered in velvety catkins, 8-20 inches long, and an inch in diameter. They are dense and fluffy, like a cat’s tail, and they appear intermittently throughout the whole year as long as conditions are favorable. Chenille plant can be grown in a container on the patio or porch and brought indoors during cold weather. It looks great in a large hanging basket with its fluffy crimson tassels hanging over the sides.

Scientific Name: Acalypha hispida
Common Name: Chenille plant, Philippines Medusa, red-hot cat’s tail, and foxtail.

 

How to grow and maintain Chenille plant:

Light:
Bright, indirect light is best for plants displayed indoors. Full sun is endured outdoors.

Soil:
The foxtail plants do best in fertile, moist, well-drained soils.

Temperature:
Daytime temperatures of 65 F to 80 F and a minimum nighttime temperature of 60 F are best.

Water:
Water foxtail plants deeply until water drips from the bottom of the basket, but avoid wetting the flowers. Keep the soil moist at all times, but not soaking wet.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize chenille plants month to month with a 1-2-1 mix and prune heavily in spring. Try not to fertilize from October to February.

Propagation:
Propagate fox tail from cuttings taken in summer. Best results come from semi-ripe wood tip cuttings with a heel.

Pests and Diseases:
chenille plants have no serious insect or disease problems. Look for scales, mites and aphids may be troublesome pests in some landscapes, especially when the plants are grown in partial shade. Control them with insecticidal soap.