Alternanthera brasiliana var. villosa

'Alternanthera brasiliana'' var. villosa, known as little ruby and ruby leaf alternanthera''', is a fast-growing ornamental groundcover plant in the amaranth family. It ranges from southeastern Mexico to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina.

It was first described as Telanthera brasiliana var. villosa in 1849 by Alfred Moquin-Tandon. It is known by many synonyms, including Alternanthera dentata, described by Stuchlík and Robert Elias Fries in 1913.

The plant is chiefly grown for its coloured foliage. It is similar in appearance to Alternanthera bettzickiana, and both have some strikingly similar looking cultivars.

Description
Growing 60 to 80 cm, the herbaceous plant features burgundy-coloured, pointed foliage with a radiant ruby red rearwards and it has a compact, mounding and spreading habit. The popular cultivar 'Little Ruby' is shorter and slightly less brownish in colour, in addition to having smaller leaves as well. The plant features dark creamy, pompom-like flowers, which bloom in winter and early spring.

Cultivation
Suited for pots, it may be used as a hedge and as a contrasting plant to the more lighter foliage in the garden. Thriving in humid conditions and has heat tolerance, the plant does best in well drained soil under a full sun to partial shade, with somewhat shaded frost-free location in the garden. The plant can easily be propagated by stem cuttings and would root readily in plain water.