A fairly hardy houseplant known for its beautiful foliage, and is thus nicknamed the ‘zebra plant,’ the Aphelandra Squarrosa will make a wonderful addition to your indoor jungle. What’s more is that it’s pet-friendly.
The most common form of Apehlandra Squarrosa is characterised by its dark glossy green leaves which are marked by white stripes. The White Wash variety was created in 2011 in the Netherlands when a regular Aphelandra Squarrosa was crossed with an Aphelandra Squarrosa ‘Snow White’.
The plant is rarer than Apehlandra Squarrosa cultivars and originates from the jungles of Brazil. An evergreen shrub, the zebra plant can grow up to 1-2 metres tall in the wild.
Much like Calatheas, the Aphelandra likes to be moist at all times but doesn’t enjoy its feet sitting in water. As such, keep the plant’s substrate damp, but don’t overwater it as this can lead to root rot. As a general rule of thumb, the plant will need to be watered around once a week during the summer months and every few weeks during the winter.
The Aphelandra Squarrosa will do best in bright indirect sunlight, such as in a North facing window or several feet away from a South facing window. Be careful not to leave the plant in bright sunlight, particularly during the summer months, as this can lead the plant to drying out too quickly and can also result in the leaves burning.
The plant will also survive in lower light conditions, but will need less water and will grow slower as a result. With this in mind, it’s worth noting that (although rare), the plant will occasionally flower when kept indoors. In order for this to happen, the plant will generally have to receive higher daily light levels.
12cm pot