Never Never Plant

Never Never Plant (Ctenanthe oppenheimiana) earns its place indoors on foliage alone. Each leaf is a long lance of deep green brushed with silver bars above and burgundy underneath, and the clump settles at about 1m tall and 80cm across. It is one of the few statement foliage plants that is safe around cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that does the work of a flower. The leaves lift and lower through the day, flashing their burgundy undersides.
• Safe around cats and dogs. Not toxic to pets, so it can sit at floor level.
• Happy in shade. Bright indirect light indoors or dappled shade outside suits most rooms and covered balconies.
• Low maintenance once settled. Steady moisture and warmth are the only real demands. No pruning, no staking, no feeding schedule.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright room out of direct sun: near an east facing window, or a metre or two back from a brighter one.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 300mm or wider pot with good drainage holds it for years. On a covered balcony or shaded courtyard it can live outdoors all year in a frost free garden.

Mass planting in shade. Set plants 50cm apart under a canopy and they knit into a continuous band within a season or two.

Growing Never Never Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, dappled to full shade outdoors. Direct sun bleaches the pattern and scorches the leaf edge. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant, and it is frost tender, so in cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens keep it under cover through winter.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix opened with perlite or coarse bark. In the ground it wants a rich, free draining bed with compost worked through and 50mm of mulch.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist and never wet. Water once the top few centimetres dry, then tip the saucer out. A half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer is enough.

Pruning. None needed. Cut tired or damaged leaves back to the base, and divide a crowded clump in spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two sizes: 200mm pots sold in packs of six, and a single 300mm pot. The 200mm plants suit a mass planting. The 300mm plant is a finished specimen for a decorative pot.

Broad soft leaves bruise in transit, so expect a folded leaf or two and a few days of sulking. Settle it somewhere warm and bright, hold off feeding for a fortnight, and expect new growth within four to six weeks in the warmer months. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive, the habits behind most indoor failures.
• Browse the wider indoor plants range.
• See more pet friendly indoor plants if cats or dogs share the house.
• Variegated plants explained, and why patterned foliage behaves differently.

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can live at floor level. Chewed leaves will still spoil the look, so a raised position helps the plant more than the pet.

Why are the leaf edges going brown and crisp?

Dry air, most often, rather than a watering fault. Move it away from heaters and vents, or sit the pot on a tray of damp pebbles.

Can I grow it outside?

In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, yes, in shade or dappled light. Anywhere that frosts, it belongs in a pot that can move under cover for winter.