Iresine

Native range — South America. This Iresine, originating from Colombia, is the most heat-loving; it does not tolerate cold climates at all.

A perennial plant up to 40 cm tall. Bushes pyramidal. Leaves oval or lanceolate, pointed, petiolate, arranged oppositely. The whole plant is red or brownish-red in color. Flowers are small, inconspicuous, whitish-yellow, with colored bracts, gathered in terminal or axillary panicles.

In cultivation since 1737. Widely used garden forms: f. emersonii — stems and leaf petioles red, leaf blades green with yellow veins; f. formosa — leaves red with a bronze tint. There are varieties with yellow-green leaves and red veins.

The leaves of this plant, in full accordance with the species name, have a spear-shaped form. However, in Iresine lindenii they can be even more pointed. Iresine acuminata hardly differs from Iresine herbstii (I. herbstii) 'Brilliantissima'. In horticultural practice they are used in the same way.

Once this was the most popular species of Iresine. These plants have greenish-red foliage and light red veins. The 'Brilliantissima' form has bright, purplish-red foliage with a distinct pattern of red-pink veins. The acuminate leaf blades are slightly rolled inward. To encourage the plant to form a dense compact bush, it is pinched several times in spring, which stimulates intensive branching. This Iresine is used as a background plant in flower beds or as edging for beds and borders. For full development it needs warmth and sunlight.

Location: light- and heat-loving plants that do not tolerate even the slightest frosts. Seedlings can be moved to the open ground no earlier than the end of May. In cold and rainy summers the plants develop poorly and do not provide the proper decorative effect. Leaves acquire their characteristic coloration only in bright sunlight.

Soil: prefer loose, fertile soils.

Care: requires abundant watering; absolutely intolerant of root drying. They respond well to pruning and hold their shape.

Propagation: Previously Iresine was grown almost exclusively from stem cuttings. Now its seeds have become available commercially and can be sown indoors. Cuttings are rooted in sand or perlite at a soil temperature of 15–20 °C, from March to May. Rooted cuttings are planted into 7 cm pots and grown on in warm frames. Shrubs are formed by pinching above the 3rd–4th pair of leaves. Mother plants overwinter in moderately warm greenhouses at 10–12 °C with moderate watering.

Use: in creating borders and carpet compositions. The plant is readily planted in memorial and historic places, as it has acquired the reputation of an "old-fashioned flower." Iresine is planted in flower beds to create bright color spots from its groups, and also in containers and hanging baskets, where it serves as a background for other plants.