Ctenanthe burle marxii

Ctenanthe burle-marxii is the low, spreading foliage plant for shade, indoors or out, with dark herringbone banding across pale green leaves and a deep plum underside. It stays around 40cm tall and 60cm wide, spreading sideways rather than upwards, so it fills the front of a shaded bed or the base of a large pot. It is also safe around cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Pattern that works in shade. The herringbone banding gives real interest where there is no sun at all and most variegated plants fade.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can sit on the floor of a living room without a second thought.
• Low and spreading, not leggy. About 40cm tall by 60cm wide, so it works as ground level cover rather than a plant you keep cutting back.
• The leaves move. Foliage lifts towards vertical in the evening and settles in the morning, which is why the family is known as the prayer plants.

Where it works best

Indoors. Bright indirect light in a living room, bedroom or shaded office corner. Inside, your climate stops mattering, which counts with a plant this frost tender.

Groundcover in a shaded tropical bed. In tropical and subtropical gardens plant 40cm apart for a lush groundcover under palms or a dense canopy. The clumps knit into continuous cover in a season or two.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. Excellent under a taller potted specimen, and a shaded courtyard corner that gets no sun is exactly the position it wants.

Growing ctenanthe in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light or full shade. Direct sun is the one thing it will not accept: even an hour of afternoon sun through glass bleaches the pattern and scorches the leaf edges. Outdoors it suits tropical and subtropical gardens only, since it is frost tender.

Soil. Rich, moisture retentive and free draining at once: a quality potting mix with added compost or leaf mould does it. In the ground, work organic matter through the bed and mulch lightly.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly damp through the warm months and slightly drier in winter, without letting it sit in water. Dry air is what crisps the leaf edges. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to early autumn is all it needs.

Pruning. None required. Cut tired leaves off at the base rather than trimming them partway, since a cut leaf never regrows its shape.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube stock, and 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tube plants are young, with a few leaves and a small root system, and they suit a large bed planted on a budget. The 200mm plants are established clumps that can go straight into a decorative pot, and a pack of six covers about 2m of bed edge at 40cm spacing.

Soft leafed plants show transit, so expect some leaf droop and possibly a marked edge, both of which recover once it is watered and settled in shade. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Give it two to three weeks to steady, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Shop indoor plants that are safe around pets
• The best ground cover plants for shaded gardens
• Browse the wider indoor plant range

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Yes. Ctenanthe is not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it one of the better patterned foliage plants for a house with animals. It is still worth discouraging chewing.

Why are the leaf edges going brown and crisp?

Almost always dry air or inconsistent watering. Move it away from heaters and vents, keep the mix evenly damp rather than swinging between soaked and bone dry, and new leaves come clean.

How far apart do I plant it as a groundcover?

Forty centimetres apart. The clumps spread sideways and meet within a season or two in a warm shaded bed, giving continuous cover without crowding each other.