Homalomena ‘Camouflage’

Homalomena 'Camouflage' (Homalomena 'Camouflage') is an indoor foliage plant grown for its leaves: broad, heart shaped and marbled in two tones of green that hold their pattern in a shaded room rather than washing out. It forms a clump about 60cm tall and 60cm across, so it fills a pot and stays there instead of sprawling across a corner.

Why you'll love it

• Pattern that survives low light. Many variegated indoor plants lose their markings away from a window. This one keeps its camouflage mottling in partial shade.
• It stays in scale. A 60cm by 60cm clump suits a side table, a plant stand or a floor pot in a small room.
• Humidity is a bonus, not a chore. Bathrooms, kitchens and steamy tropical verandahs suit it, so you can put it where drier plants sulk.
• Low maintenance. It grows slowly, needs no shaping, and is happy left in the same pot for a couple of years.

Where it works best

Indoors, anywhere in Australia. Inside, your local climate stops mattering, which counts for a plant this frost tender.

Shaded pots and courtyards. Outdoors it needs a tropical or subtropical garden, in a sheltered shaded position on a balcony, verandah or courtyard. Anywhere colder, keep it in a pot indoors.

One caution. Like other aroids, the sap contains calcium oxalate and it is not a safe plant for homes where pets or small children chew foliage.

Growing homalomena in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light or partial shade. Direct sun through glass scorches the leaves and bleaches the pattern. It is frost tender and wants warmth, so keep it above about 15 degrees over winter.

Soil. A chunky aroid or premium indoor mix with added perlite and bark. Drainage holes are essential, and it should never sit in a full saucer.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist through the warm months, watering once the top few centimetres dry. Ease right off in winter. A half strength liquid feed monthly from spring to late summer is plenty.

Grooming. There is no pruning to do. Cut old or yellowing leaves off at the base, and wipe the foliage occasionally so dust does not dull the markings.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes, 125mm pots in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six. The 125mm plants are young clumps, ideal if you are planting several rooms or a landscape order. The 200mm plants are established and can go straight into a decorative pot.

Unpack it the day it lands and expect a few weeks of stillness while it adjusts. Do not repot straight away. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive covers the watering and light mistakes behind most failures.
• Browse the wider indoor plant range for companions on the same schedule.
• See more variegated foliage plants with patterned leaves.
• Pair it with an indoor pot that drains properly.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals, which cause mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting if chewed. Keep it well out of reach of pets that nibble houseplants.

How much light does it need?

Bright indirect light is ideal, and it copes with genuinely shaded corners. Keep it out of direct sun, which marks the leaves within days.

How often should I water it?

Water once the top two to three centimetres of mix feel dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Soggy mix is the fastest way to lose it.

Can I grow it outside?

Only in tropical and subtropical gardens, and only in shade with shelter from wind. It is frost tender, so in temperate and cool districts it is an indoor plant.