Iresine herbstii

Iresine herbstii Brilliantissima (left) in the garden of Anne Prescott in Sydney

A semi-tropical, soft-leaved bushy perennial, Iresine herbstii (ht 60 cm to 1 m) belongs to the Amaranthaceae familt of plants and comes from Brazil. It is often called the beefsteak plant, with the most commonly seen being the reddish form, 'Brilliantissima', which has rich crimson-veined dark purplish leaves, which are heart-shaped. It has a fairly upright form. There seems to be a slightly different cultivar, which is more sprawling and with indented, kidney-shaped leaves and a more open, sprawling habit; it is apparently called 'Verschaffeltii'. The colour of the leaves looks very attractive grown nearby silvery leaves, such as those of Plectranthus argentatus or Helichrysum petiolare, or the misty, purple flowers of Plectranthus ecklonii.

Iresine herbstii Aureoreticulata under a citrus tree in the garden of Anne Prescott in Sydney

Iresine herbstii Aureoreticulata under a citrus tree in the garden of Anne Prescott in Sydney

There are a couple of forms with mid-green leaves with yellow veining. One has pointed leaves similar in shape to 'Brilliantissima', and with pinkish stems and petioles, which seems to be known as 'Formosana'. The other has notched leaves shaped like 'Verschaffeltii' and often develops leaves that are reddish in patches or even all over; this cultivar is called 'Aureoreticulata'.

Large-leaved form of dark purplish-brown Iresine with Plectranthus ecklonii in the Sydney garden of Margaret Chedra

Large-leaved form of dark purplish-brown Iresine with Plectranthus ecklonii in the Sydney garden of Margaret Chedra

Years ago, I acquired a cutting of a plain form of Iresine which has quite large leaves of a deep purplish-brown, which grows to 1.5 m (pictured at left). It is a very useful foliage plant, mixing effortlessly with almost any colour flower. I have yet to find out its cultivar name. The cultivar 'Wallisii' (ht 50 cm) also has plain purplish-brown leaves but they are smaller and more rounded than the other cultivars, and strangely twisted on their stalks. Iresine plants are very adaptable and will grow in sun or shade - the colouration of the leaves is more pronounced in a sunny place, but will still look good in shade, even heavy shade. When the leaves are backlit by the sun, they look very beautiful. They will grow in quite ordinary soil and don't need a lot of water. They can form a large mass that makes quite an impression and effortlessly fill a difficult area, needing little maintenance. I cut mine back very hard around the beginning of September.

Iresine herbstii Brilliantissima pruned as a low hedge in the garden of Janet and Lawrie Hayes in Sydney

Iresine herbstii Brilliantissima pruned as a low hedge in the garden of Janet and Lawrie Hayes in Sydney

Iresine can be grouped to form an informal hedge in a shaded area, clipped low if preferred (as shown in the photo at left). The leaves lend themselves to many colour echoes in the garden, by pairing a flower of the same hue to the veins of the beefsteak plant, or in the case of the dark purplish-brown variety, matching the foliage colour to another plant's dark stems or flower bracts. I use many different flowers for these combinations as I have a number of Iresine growing in my garden - Canna and Salvia are two which I often plant nearby to Iresine. All Iresine are frost tender. The flowers are insignificant. They are easily propagated from cuttings and will even take root in a glass of water!

Note: Some authorities call this plant Iresine diffusa f. herbstii now; Iresine herbstii is, however, still a valid name. I am unable to clarify the correct name as yet.