Looking at Plants

Acalypha wilkesiana ‘Louisiana Red’

COMMON NAMES

Louisiana Red Copperleaf, Jacob’s Coat                                                       

Acalypha (ak-uh-LY-fuh) – from the Greek for nettle, in reference to the nettle-like appearance of the leaves

wilkesiana (wilkes-ee-AY-nuh) – named for Charles Wilkes, 19^th century naval officer and explorer

‘Louisiana Red’ – cultivar name

GROUP 

Dicot                                                                                       

FAMILY 

Euphorbiaceae

ORIGIN

Species - Fiji Islands, South Pacific; Cultivar -

DESCRIPTION

Louisiana Red Copperleaf is an evergreen shrub that averages 5 to 7 feet in height with a comparable spread. It is multi-stemmed and has an upright, sprawling habit. It has a fast growth rate.                                                     

Leaves are evergreen, ovate in shape, an average of 4 to 6 inches long, alternate in arrangement, simple with serrate margins, and mottled in various hues of red, bronze, and copper. It has pinnate veins.

The reddish flowers are small, borne in axillary catkins that are 8 to 12 inches long. Primary bloom period is summer.

Fruit are capsules that are not often seen.

HARDINESS

It is hardy in USDA Zones 10 to 11. It is freeze tender. It is marginally grown in zone 9 with some foliage damage each winter, sometimes to the ground to resprout in spring, but it is more likely to survive if provided some protection or shelter.

LIGHT

Full sun for best color and compactness; it will tolerate part shade

SALT

Poor Salt Spray Tolerance – it’s risky for this plant to be put in a coastal area as it has minimal tolerance. It would require multiple layers of protection such as in a greenhouse, indoors, or in a small enclosed area such as a courtyard beyond the dunes. 

SOIL

It prefers a fertile, organic soil in the pH range of 6.0 to 7.5, but it will grow on other well-drained soils.

WATERING

It has moderate drought tolerance once established, but it will do much better with irrigation in dry spells.

PROPAGATION

Cuttings under mist most any time of year – softwood cuttings root best taken in spring and with semi-hardwood cuttings taken later in the summer as temperatures begin cooling, some bottom heat speeds rooting ; air layering 

PRUNING

Pinch tips when young to promote more branching. Prune to control or shape during the year – it is best to selectively prune as opposed to shearing. Save hard cutbacks, if needed, for early spring after frost danger has passed.

FERTILIZING

It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test calls for something different, a balanced analysis applied per the product’s label during the growing season will work.

PESTS

Croton Scale, Lobate Lac Scale, Saddleback Caterpillar, Spider Mites, Mealybugs, Aphids

DISEASES

Rhizoctonia  - especially Damp Off on cuttings and young plants, Little-leaf Virus

DEER

Resistant

There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.

USES

Mixed plantings, color accent, specimen plant, backdrop screening, containers – indoor and out, an annual in northern climates 

TOXICITY

California Poison Control gives Acalypha wilkesiana a listing of:

1 - Dermal Skin - contact with these plants can cause symptoms ranging from redness, itching, and rash to painful blisters like skin burns.

3 – Moderate - Ingestion of these plants is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms that may cause illness but is not life-threatening.