Palette leaf
Palette leaf is a beautiful and versatile plant with leaves that often have multiple colors. Palette leaf originates from Central America. In Mexico, the plant has been cultivated for its appearance for hundreds of years. It has also been used for its medicinal properties and in religious ceremonies. It has symbolized fertility in many cultures and is now popular all over the world as a houseplant.
Versatile and decorative
As a decoration, sequin leaves can be used both as a potted plant and a cut flower. Sequin leaves also do very well together with other flowers in various arrangements. Sequin flowers are small and grow in clusters. It is above all for the magnificent leaves that this plant is loved by many.
Palette leaves - care
It's not very difficult to make sequins thrive if you follow these tips:
- Place the plant in a bright location but avoid direct sunlight.
- Palette leaves need to be watered regularly. The soil should be moist but not soggy.
- It should ideally not get colder than 15 degrees where you have the plant.
- Cut down sequin leaves if you want new shoots and dense seedlings.
You can give sequin leaves a tree-like shape by removing the bottom leaves. If the pot is small, you may need to support the plant to prevent it from falling over. This is especially true if you grow the sequin leaf as a tree with a bare stalk under a 'crown'.
Propagating fiddleheads with cuttings
If you have sequin leaves, you can quickly get more by taking cuttings. Here's how to take cuttings from sequin leaves:
- Choose a healthy branch with two or more pairs of leaves that are at least 10 cm long.
- Remove the lowest leaves.
- Cut or snip the branch just below one pair of leaves.
- Plant the cutting in ordinary potting soil. It's fine if 3 cm of the stalk is underground.
- Water thoroughly.
It usually takes one to two weeks for a cuttings to root. If you've planted a sequin leaf cuttings in a small pot or mini greenhouse, you can replant it when it starts to grow new leaves. Palette leaf cuttings root most quickly in spring and summer. There are rooting hormones available in the trade that make it go even faster.
Palette leaves outdoors
Palette leaves can be left outside in summer. The leaves will be more beautiful if they get plenty of light. But just like when it's inside, you should avoid direct sunlight. The plant cannot overwinter outdoors in Sweden. Place in pots towards the end of the summer and leave them in a cool but not cold place. If you want them to stay really nice during the winter, you may need to use plant lights to supplement sunlight. At least when it's darkest.
Different varieties of sequin leaves
Fiddleheads can have different looks depending on the variety. Here are some that are popular in Sweden:
- Coleus Blumei - common variety with leaves in red, orange, yellow and green.
- Coleus Black Dragon - dark red-brown leaves with a black edge.
- Coleus Electric Sunrise - this variety has leaves in various shades of red, orange and yellow with a green edge.
- Coleus Lemon Drop - leaves in various shades of yellow and green.
- Coleus Kong - several varieties with very large leaves.
Author: Johanna DammFact checked by Erik HoekstraLast updated 2024-01-09
