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House plants not only have the advantage of refreshing the atmosphere and removing toxins, but they are also a great way to add character, personality, and ambiance to your living space.
The addition of these plants makes our home stand out and gives it a classy, timeless look.
Houseplants come in various colors and shades, and choosing the right shades that complement the color scheme of your living scheme is a great way to decorate the space.
Out of many shades, the combination of red and green especially makes a lovely impact. There are many houseplants with shades of red embedded into their green leaves, some of which we will list below for your convenience.
Houseplants with Red and Green Leaves
The following houseplants have a combination of red and green leaves:
1) Aglaonema
These are two varieties of Aglaonema with a mix of red and green leaves, which give a beautiful outlook:
Aglaonema Red Gold
Commonly called Chinese Evergreen, this plant does well both indoors and outdoors. The leaves have red edges framing the green interior.
The veins also possess a hint of red. It prefers partial shade but not a very cold condition.
The plant should be kept drier in the winter months. It prefers good bright indirect light with consistent moisture from spring to fall.
Aglaonema widuri, ‘Red Peacock.’
This plant has beautiful oval green leaves with striking pink-red veins. It prefers low light conditions to grow, exposing to bright direct sunlight will cause the plant to lose its variegation.
It is a low-maintenance plant and is beginner-friendly.
If you are interested we have an article on another type of aglaonema here, the aglaonema white rain.
2) Coleus
Coleus scutellarioides, an evergreen perennial plant, is one of the easiest plants to grow and propagate and is sought for ornamental purposes worldwide.
It is a member of the mint family and is native to Indonesia. It prefers moist conditions for growth. The leaves come in various shades and patterns, situated directly opposite each other.
The center of the leaves is bright red to purple, while the margins are light green. You can keep this plant in flower beds and can also use containers to plant it.
You may enjoy our article on what to plant with coleus in a container.
3) Caladium
Caladium belongs to the family Araceae. They have many common names, including elephant ears and angel wings. Their heart-shaped leaves have an excellent combination of red, green, white, and pink.
The plant is sought for these beautiful, fragile leaves. The plant grows well indoors, requires medium light, and prefers humid conditions. It requires fertilizer in active growing months of spring and summer.
For more on the caladium, check out our article on the caladium vs the syngonium.
4) Anthurium
Anthurium, also called Flamingo Lilly or Flamingo flower, is a widely sought plant known for its bright red blooms, which are actually leaves.
It is native to the Americas; however, it is one of the most compatible indoor plants. The leaves and blooms give a vibrant look to living spaces and add a pop of color wherever placed.
The leaves are clustered and variable in shape. This plant does well in a drained pot and all levels of indirect sunlight. When it overgrows, you can propagate it through stem cuttings.
5) Croton
Native to Southeast Asia and Oceania, these plants are known for their scarlet, orange, and green variegated foliage. This poisonous plant prefers sunny conditions to grow.
The light helps it maintain its colorful variegation. It prefers evenly moist soil, moderate humidity and requires fertilizers in the spring.
Crotons pest-resistant but need to be cleaned regularly to remove the dust on the leaves. The plant would add an exotic touch to your bedroom or lounge with its shiny, waxy colorful leaves.
6) Fittonia
Fittonia, also known as nerve plants, is a genus of evergreen perennials native to South America. It has beautiful luscious dark, and light green leaves with red midribs running through.
The plant is not fond of direct sunlight and does well in slightly acidic soil. It likes well-drained moist soil, occasional watering, and room temperature.
You can assort your tabletops, use hanging baskets, and can also put them in terrariums. The contrasting veins make it a must-have.
7) Madagascar Dragon Tree
The marginata Colorama is a cultivar of the famous Madagascar Dragon Tree. It is an easy-to-grow, hardy plant that does well indoors.
It has long, slender, stiff sword-like leaves with brilliant hues of green and red growing from a central stalk.
The mature plant grows 3 to 4 feet and produces white flowers in the spring season.
It beautifies the indoors; however, beware of its toxic nature. Keep it an area away from toddlers and pets.
8) Ti Plant
This is a bold houseplant. It is also called cordyline. The attractive leaves provide color to your indoors all year round.
The leaves have flamboyant red, hot pink, and purple streaks with shades of green.
The plant likes high light conditions, reserving its spot next to the brightest window of your house. They are slow-growing, removing the need for constant pruning and trimming.
It is sensitive to fluoride, so prefer using distilled water for watering it. You can group it with other plants in the corner of the room to make it stand out.
9) Poinsettia
Known for its bright red and green foliage, the poinsettia is widely used for ornamental purposes, particularly to prepare Christmas floral displays.
Native to Central America, this plant, when placed indoors, prefers indirect sunlight. However, they do prefer a warm location away from vents between 65 to 75 degrees.
Take adequate breaks in between watering. The soil should be moist but not soggy. It is an excellent house plant, particularly during the festive season.
10) Rex Begonia
Rex begonia is a beautiful dramatic plant having fancy variegated leaves in the shades of dark red to magenta. They are grown for their showy leaves.
The plant has a moderate growth rate and does well between 60 to 70 degrees. The plants are primarily hybrids, so it is not possible to have wonderful variegation if you’re trying to propagate it from seeds.
It prefers airy light draining soil and bright indirect sunlight. They require regular watering but be careful not to overwater the plant.
11) Peperomia
Peperomia Schumi Red belongs to the peppercorn family, Piperaceae. It is an air purifying plant sought for its low maintenance and beautiful foliage having dark red to purple shaded leaves with a green stem.
This attractive and compact plant provides a modern look to your indoors. It requires well-draining soil, light to moderate sunlight, average humidity, and room temperature. It is a good thing this plant is not toxic to pets.
12) Polka Dot Plant
Hypoestes phyllostachya, commonly called the polka dot plant, is native to Madagascar. It has ovate green leaves with pink or red spotting.
The polka dot plant can do well in patio containers and window boxes. It grows well in bright, filtered light and tolerates some direct sun.
The leaves display a better color in partial shade. It prefers a humid environment and may require seldom misting in the winters as well.
Using porous soil high in organic matter would do well when keeping this plant indoors.
13) Lipstick Echeveria
This is an eye-catching evergreen succulent native to Mexico which forms a rosette of sharp-pointed green leaves with bright red crimson red leaves.
It grows well in rocky, well-drained soil and sun to partial shade lighting conditions. It is not resistant to cold.
You can make use of this plant near a south-facing window indoors and benefit from its beautiful shape.
14) Red Maple Bonsai
Native to Japan and China, mini red maple bonsai make an excellent houseplants with its remarkable red and green leaves.
The leaves resemble a human hand, therefore its name. The branches and trunk of this tree are initially green but gradually turn grey.
They prefer sunlight but not direct sunlight in the summers. Its leaves curl up when exposed to direct sunlight. It prefers moist soil to grow but with good drainage.
Red Maple Bonsai likes frequent fertilizing. When properly taken care of, red maple bonsai will give your indoors a refreshing look.
15) Pencil Cactus
In full sun, Euphorbia tirucalli, commonly called Pencil Cactus, actually not a cactus but a succulent, displays green foliage with red tips.
The red pigment in the leaves actually prevents the plant from getting sunburn. So using this feature, you can make room for this plant near a brightly lit window receiving direct sunlight.
However, the sap is toxic, so keep it out of reach of children and pets. It is well sought for contemporary interior designing purposes.
Final Thoughts:
There are many varieties of house plants with red and green leaves in the market which nature has provided. You can make use of them to adorn your indoors according to your liking.
Flamingo Lily, Rex Begonia, and the Polka Dot Plant offer magnificently different hues of red and green in variable patterns and on various shapes of leaves.
Using our given list, you’ll indeed find one suitable for your living space.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our article on 10 Flowers That Look Like Peonies.
About the Author:
Saad Ansar
Saad is an avid gardener himself and is a great lover of plants, animals, photography, & people. Currently, he is focused on photographing indoor plants & captioning beautiful outdoor sceneries. He writes and rewrites in-depth articles on nature and science.
