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Add some unique beauty to your indoor garden with the chenille plant (Acalypha hispida) also known as the red hot cat’s tail.
One look at the fuzzy flowers is sure to remind you of a chenille bedspread or robe. These long red tassel-like flowers resemble the blossoms of the garden beauty Love-lies-bleeding.
Grow this beauty in a warm sunny window. Group it with other plants or place it on a gravel tray to create the humid environment it prefers.
Prune off flowers as they fade to encourage continuous bloom.
Although it’s non toxic to cats and dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, it can be mildly toxic to people. So keep it out of the reach of curious children.
This houseplant can move outdoors during the warmer months. Just be sure to move it back indoors as temperatures begin to drop in fall.
A bit more information: The chenille plant is hardy in zones 10 to 11 where it can grow 6 to 8 feet tall and is used as a hedge or specimen plant.
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