Rhodospatha Roja (Rhodospatha Roja)
Rhodospatha Roja Plant Features
Rhodospatha Roja is an uncommonly beautiful --- and hard-to-find (but easy to grow!) --- houseplant that sports luscious deep green foliage flushed with purple. The undersides of the leaves are a chocolatey-red color, adding further depth and interest to the plant.
It's in the Aroid family, so it's related to plants like Philodendron, Pothos, Monstera, and Scindapsus (as well as Aglaonema, Dieffenbachia, Syngonium, and ZZ Plant). Like its relatives, it produces spathe-like flowers when it blooms. But its gorgeous foliage is really what steals the show.
Despite its appearance, the leaves are surprisingly thick, helping it hold up if it dries out a little too much. Most Rhodospatha are vines, so it may climb if given a support such as moss pole and the leaves may get larger. But in our experience it's a medium- to slow-growing houseplant --- so you don't have to worry about it getting out of control.
It looks beautiful as a tabletop plant. Enjoy it on a bright desk, tabletop, large windowsill, or other surface where you can see it at eye level to get the bicolor effect from the tops and the bottoms of the leaves.
Never heard of Rhodospatha? It's a genus of about 75 plants native to tropical rainforests in Central and South America --- from Mexico down through Brazil. We're excited to introduce you to this new (as a houseplant) species!
Buy Rhodospatha Roja
Buy Rhodospatha online and have it shipped fresh from our farm, direct to your door from our online plant shop. Or find it in our Trending Tropicals® collection online.
Rhodospatha Roja Growing Instructions
Rhodospatha Roja Light Needs
As a houseplant, Rhodospatha Roja survives in a wide range of light conditions. Like just about every plant, it wants lots of light indoors. But happily, we've found it holds up well in our testing even in lower light levels. For best growth, we recommend keeping it within about 3 feet or so of a good-sized, unobstructed east- or west-facing window.
It doesn't need natural light, though. You can enjoy its beauty indoors under artificial lights, as well.
Watering Your Rhodospatha Roja
Because it's relatively slow growing and has relatively thick (almost leathery) leaves, this houseplant survives drying out a little from time to time. But while it survives getting dry, it thrives when provided consistent moisture. This makes Rhodospatha Roja a good choice for a self-watering system like Wick & Grow.
Note: We offer it in a self-watering system. This self-watering system constantly delivers a small amount of moisture to the potting mix, keeping it just moist enough for the plant without overwatering.
Rhodospatha Roja Humidity Needs
This houseplant does well with the humidity levels found in most homes or offices (40 to 60 percent). Because it's from tropical rainforest areas, it prefers higher humidity levels when available.
Fertilizing Rhodospatha Roja
For best growth, fertilize this houseplant at least twice a year. Spring and summer are typically the best times to fertilize as the sun is stronger and the days are longer. Use a fertilizer formulated for use on houseplants and follow the directions on the product packaging. You can fertilize it more often if you wish for your plant to grow faster, but never exceed the recommendations on the product packaging (in terms of quantity or frequency). Excess fertilizer can burn and kill the roots.
Pruning Rhodospatha Roja
Our crop comes from cuttings taken from our Mother Plants. Our growers prune the plants to create an upright mound to reduce physical damage that may affect the plant in shipping.
As your plant matures, it may want to climb. You can grow up a moss pole, wall, or other support if you wish. If you like to keep yours compact, pinch back new growth as necessary. You can prune it at any time of the year without worry of hurting the plant.
This variety is grown for ornamental use and is not intended for human or animal consumption. We advise keeping it out of reach from children or pets that may nibble.