Tropicals > Acalypha > Acalypha wilkesiana > Acalypha wilkesiana
Acalypha wilkesiana
Dragons' Blood
Origin: East Indies and the Pacific.
| Family |
| Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus |
| Acalypha |
| Species |
| wilkesiana |
| Category |
| Tropicals |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1b |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -1 - 10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 30 - 50 |
| Height |
| 1 - 1.5 m |
| Spread |
| 1 - 1.5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Awards
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Erect evergreen shrub with many branches with fine hairs. |
| Cultivation |
| Plant in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to semi-shade. |
| Shape |
| Rounded to obtuse-cordate. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| The plant is susceptible to mealybug infestations. |
| Leaf Description |
| The leaves are finely hairy. They can be flat or crinkled. The leaves are large and broad with teeth around the edge. They can be 10-20 cm long and 15 cm wide. |
| Flower Description |
| The male flowers hang in terminal panicles downwards while the female flowers are in short spikes, often hidden amongst the leaves. The flower stalks are 10 - 20 cm long. |
| Colour Description |
| The leaves are coppery-green with red variegation. The flowers are reddish-purple in spikes at the ends of the branches. |
| Texture Description |
| Smooth to coarse. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Propagation |
| Stem cuttings at any time of year. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Leaves are traditionally used to treat throat infections, diarrhea, dysentery and fever. |
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