Purple Waffle Plant, Red Ivy

The purple waffle plant, also known as red ivy, is a tropical perennial with a prostrate, spreading growth habit and beautiful oval leaves with gray-green tops and purple bottom surfaces. The tiny white flowers that appear in summer are attractive but secondary to the beautiful foliage. Purple waffle plant can be grown as a garden perennial in frost-free climates, but elsewhere it is usually grown as an annual in garden beds or in containers. It also makes an excellent indoor houseplant, since it is known for having excellent air-purifying properties. Normally planted from nursery starts in the spring, purple waffle plant has a relatively slow growth rate. Outdoor plants rarely need any pruning, but some annual trimming may be helpful for indoor houseplants.

Light: The purple waffle plant does best in partial sun outdoor or in bright indirect light indoors. Direct sun can cause the edges of leaves to scorch or the color to bleach, and the cool metallic sheen of the leaves may also fade in direct sun. But without enough light, the plant may lose its rich purple color. Purple waffle plants will also thrive under artificial lights.

Watering: If the purple waffle plant is moist, it's happy. Moist, well-drained soil is the goal. The plants don't need to be soaking to the point of runoff. Instead, think of a wrung-out sponge and irrigate the plants to achieve this level of moisture. If your environment is exceedingly dry or you can't ensure regular irrigation or aren't around enough to provide proper irrigation, add water-absorbing crystals to the soil to help retain moisture.