Purple Waffle Plant
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called metal-leaf, red-flame and Waffle Plant.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. NC State Extension publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica'. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Full sun, Partial ShadeNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Good Drainage, MoistNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- High Organic Matter; pH Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)NC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No record of poisoning in people is listed for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Repotting
- Roots poking out of the pot's drainage holes are a sign that repotting is due.NC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Clippings can be used to start more plants.NC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Some moderate pruning to tidy the plant may be needed.NC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by whiteflies.NC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
- Native range
- as a cultigen from E. MalesiaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Maluku Islands--eastern part of IndonesiaNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Annual, Ground Cover, Herbaceous Perennial; habit prostrate, spreadingNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 6–9 in; width 12–18 inNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers white; blooms in spring, summerNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Houseplant, groundcoverNC State Extension, filed as Strobilanthes alternata 'Exotica' · read 13 September 2026
Other Strobilanthes
More of the Acanthaceae family
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Polka dot plantEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.