Plants
Zebra Plant
Aphelandra squarrosa · Acanthaceae
The aphelandra, aptly called zebra plant, is a double beauty: bold white veins draw stripes across the glossy dark-green foliage, and above it a pyramid-shaped golden-yellow flower spike glows for weeks. It is a diva among houseplants — but offer it warmth, light and humidity and it rewards you richly. We buy our zebra plants in budded quality at the Veiling Rhein-Maas so the flower opens in your home.
- Light
- Bright to semi-shaded without harsh sun; in winter it can move right up to a bright window.
- Watering
- Evenly, lightly moist with soft, room-temperature water; avoid both drying out and waterlogging.
- Care level
- Demanding
- Botanical
- Aphelandra squarrosa
The real colour miracle of the aphelandra is its bracts: the glowing yellow pyramid consists of shingle-like layered bracts that stay attractive for up to two months. The actual flowers are small yellow tubes that emerge one after another from the bracts and fade after a few days.
Compact cultivars such as Dania with especially high-contrast veining are the trade standard. At 30 to 50 centimetres they stay living-room sized, while the wild form in Brazil grows considerably taller. After flowering, cut off the spike and shorten the shoots — that keeps the plant bushy.
The zebra plant comes from the rainforest and makes no secret of it: below 18 degrees Celsius and in dry heating air it curls and drops its leaves. A warm, bright spot without direct midday sun, no draughts and humidity of 60 percent or more are half the care. A tray of moist expanded clay or a place in a bright bathroom helps enormously.
Water evenly with soft, room-temperature water: the root ball should stay lightly moist throughout, because even a single complete dry-out is answered with drooping leaves and leaf drop. It resents hard, cold tap water just as much.
If you want to keep the plant going after flowering, give it a slightly cooler, bright rest at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius in late winter with more sparing watering — that encourages new flower buds. Many treat the aphelandra as a long-lived flowering guest and replace it after blooming; with a little devotion, however, it flowers anew every year.
In plant arrangements we like to combine the zebra plant with fellow rainforest natives such as calathea and maranta, which share its demands for warmth and humidity. Its striped foliage remains an eye-catcher even without the flower.
Is Zebra Plant toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
The zebra plant is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. Its sap can mildly irritate sensitive skin; as with all houseplants, eating it is not advised.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Keep warm (18–25 degrees Celsius) and bright without direct midday sun; avoid draughts and cold windowsills.
- 02Keep the root ball evenly, lightly moist — never let it dry out completely, but avoid waterlogging too.
- 03Use only soft, room-temperature water; hard water causes leaf damage.
- 04Ensure humidity above 60 percent: mist regularly or stand it on moist expanded clay.
- 05Feed every two weeks during the growing season.
- 06Cut off the faded spike and shorten the shoots — this encourages bushy regrowth.
Frequently asked
- Is the zebra plant toxic to cats or dogs?
- No, Aphelandra squarrosa is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs — one of the few flowering houseplants that can safely go into pet households. The sap can mildly irritate on skin contact, but serious poisoning is not known.
- How long does the zebra plant flower?
- The glowing yellow bracts stay attractive for six to eight weeks, while the individual small tubular flowers within them last only a few days. Cut the spike off once faded — the plant then puts its energy into new foliage and the next flower buds.
- Why is my zebra plant losing leaves?
- Leaf drop is its standard answer to stress: a root ball that dried out once, cold tap water, draughts or temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius. Remove the cause, water evenly with soft water and provide a warm, sheltered spot — it will then reshoot from the leaf axils.
- Can I get the zebra plant to flower again?
- Yes, with a short rest cure: in late winter give it about eight weeks in a brighter, slightly cooler spot at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius and water more sparingly. With rising temperatures and normal care in spring, it pushes the next yellow spike on strong new shoots.