One of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten about buying plants is to look at the leaves, not the flowers. This is nowhere more true than with the purple waffle plant.
Yes. The flowers are beautiful. But the flowers don’t grow all year. You have to live with that plant for the many, many months during which there are no flowers, especially if it’s an indoor plant. You’re going to want attractive leaves.
The purple waffle plant is eye-catching and beautiful, with or without its flowers.
Also known by its nickname, red ivy, the Hemigraphis alternata brings air-purifying qualities into any home or office, and it spruces up any space with its interesting color and texture.
The Purple Waffle plant is an ideal indoor plant and will only add to your decor and flow.
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A Purple Waffle Plant Is Good for Homes and Offices
The number one reason the purple waffle plant is good for your home or office space is its air-purifying qualities.
While it can be said that all plants help clean the air, and it’s true, the purple waffle plant is particularly efficient at removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, toluene, and octane from your atmosphere.
These toxins are extremely common and show up in practically every household through items like paint, cleaners, and hair products.
In addition to being good for your health, this strikingly exotic looking plant is quite easy to care for, making it a great plant for beginners.
With deep purple hues on the underside of the foliage that peek out on the edges and crinkly leaves that resemble a waffle pattern, this plant is no wallflower. It will quickly become a conversation piece.
Are Purple Waffle Plants Good for the Feng Shui Flow of a Room?
Because the practice of feng shui centers around balancing the energy of the five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water – plants can make an enormous contribution to the feng shui flow of your room.
While some plants can offer negative feng shui because of their spiky nature or drier qualities, the purple waffle plant is not one of these.
Its leaves are soft and smooth, and its green is deep, calling upon healing energy. The color purple symbolizes wealth and prosperity in feng shui, as well.
One of the most beneficial, feng shui plants is the calathea plant because of its lush foliage, and striking colors and patterns, and the purple waffle plant is very close in features to the calathea.
To learn more about establishing Feng Shui and flow in your home or office, check out the master class article on how to use Feng Shui.
Are Purple Waffle Plants Easy to Grow and Maintain?
The Purple Waffle plant is easy to grow and maintain as a slow-growing tropical specimen that asks for very little from its owner.
How Do Purple Waffle Plants Grow?
In general, the purple waffle plant requires only a relatively warm temperature and regular watering.
It is typically planted from nursery starts in the spring and will only require trimming once a year to keep it fresh.
You can plant your purple waffle plant in a medium-size pot and expect it to remain modest in size.
What Kind of Soil Does a Purple Waffle Plant Need?
Ideal soil for a purple waffle plant will be moist and enriched with compost or leaf mold, which will keep it light.
You can begin with any all-purpose potting mix.
How Much Light Does a Purple Waffle Plant Need?
Your purple waffle plant will do best in bright, indirect light. Place it near a window that gets plenty of sun, but not in the direct sun, which will cause the edges of your leaves to scorch or the color of your leaves to bleach.
Too much sun may also cause the sheen of your leaves to fade.
In contrast, too little light will cause the plant to lose its rich, purple color.
How Much Water Does a Purple Waffle Plant Need?
A moist purple waffle plant is a happy purple waffle plant. Your best bet is to keep it watered regularly and check the soil with your fingertips to make sure the surface is moist, but not soaked.
If you worry you won’t be around enough to water your plant regularly or that you live in an environment that is so dry that it will dry out your plant quickly, you can always add water-absorbing crystals to your soil, which will help it retain its moisture.
Take a look at this article on watering mistakes you’re making that are killing your plants for more tips.
Other Conditions that Are Important to a Purple Waffle Plant
Remember that the purple waffle plant is a tropical plant, so it loves warm temperatures and high humidity. You can contribute to this environment by misting your plant or growing it in a tray filled with small rocks and water. You could also consider placing it in a steamy bathroom with a window.
To replicate its jungle home, you should also fertilize your plant with a slow-release 6-12-6 houseplant fertilizer, which will enrich it with nitrogen, phosphate, and potash.
Note that scale and white flies are common pests for an indoor purple waffle plant. The best way to rid yourself of these insects is using a non-toxic insecticidal soap. Spray your plant on the top and the bottom of each leaf once a week until the pests disappear.
Finally, because this plant loves to be moist, root rot can take hold. Be sure to check your soil for moisture, and that it is not soaked through.
Purple Waffle Plant Decorating Ideas
The purple waffle plant will add a tropical vibe to your space, so keep that in mind when decorating with it.
Place the plant in a pot that won’t detract from its vibrant colors, near a window, in indirect bright light.
You can also combine it with other tropical plants, art, or objects to create a theme.
No matter how you use the purple waffle plant to decorate be sure you give it a front-and-center location so it can get the attention it deserves.
Do Fake Purple Waffle Plants Look Real?
If you’re thinking of going fake, the nice thing about the purple waffle plant is that it is so interesting and odd looking in some ways that it does make people wonder if it’s fake. So, a fake purple waffle plant will actually look real.
If you struggle to keep plants alive, and you’re worried about investing money in this plant only to lose it, you can always start out with a fake one instead. Check out my piece on whether artificial plants and flowers are tacky.
Because the purple waffle plant is an easy-to-care-for a plant perfect for beginners, you should consider starting with a real one, and seeing how it goes. But, if you are going to go artificial, you really can’t choose a better fake plant than this one.
Do you have a purple waffle plant? How are you loving this “red ivy?” How are you decorating with your purple waffle plant? Let me know in the comments below.
