artillery plant

Description:

Common Name: artillery plant Type: Herbaceous perennial Family: Urticaceae Native Range: Mexico to Brazil Zone: 11 to 12 Height: 0.50 to 1.00 feet Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet Bloom Time: Flowers not showy Bloom Description: Green Sun: Part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Insignificant Leaf: Evergreen

Habitat:

Native from Mexico to Brazil, artillery plant is a short-lived perennial or annual that typically grows from 8-12” tall. In its native habitat, it may spread to as much as 24” wide and is sometimes massed as a ground cover. Abundant, tiny, obovate to rounded, succulent, light green leaves (1/4” to 1/2” long) appear on this small shrubby plant, giving it an almost fern-like appearance. Tiny greenish flowers are not particularly showy. Male flowers explosively discharge pollen into the air, hence the common name of artillery plant. Indoor plants rarely flower and fruit. ‘Variegata’ is more compact (to 6” tall) with white, pink and green variegated leaves.