If You See This Red Fuzzy Plant, This Is What It Is

Here at Family Handyman, we are lovers of all flowers. From the low-maintenance to the truly colorful, there’s a place for every flower in our gardens. And now, we have a new favorite fleur du jour, a fuzzy, fuchsia cattail-like critter, first spotted by our photo editor, Darren Hartwell, at a greenhouse in Roanoke, Virginia.

So, what are these bizarre, Dr. Seuss-y plants, exactly? Firetail chenille. They’re equal parts charming and strange, and can be great for seasoned or novice gardeners. “The firetail chenille plant can be a good beginner’s plant, but it has specific needs to thrive,” Gail Pabst from the National Garden Bureau says.

Here’s everything you need to know, including how to grow them yourself, with tips from Pabst and Trisha Singh from Garden for Wildlife.

Meet Your New Favorite Flower: The Firetail Chenille Plant

The “fluffy masses of bright red flower spikes” are called firetail chenille, or Acalypha pendula. They are sometimes also appropriately called “monkey tails” or “red-hot cattails.” In appearance, their leaves are simple, but their bright, fluffy flowers are stunning. They are a trailing variety of plant, making them perfect for hanging planters and flower boxes, and bloom in the United States in spring and summer.

In their native Philippines and New Guinea, they can grow up to 18 feet tall and 8 feet wide. However, here in the United States, they will likely only grow around 18 inches wide and 5 inches tall, making them suitable ground cover for your garden.

Where to Get Firetail Chenille

Before you go out and buy firetail chenille, first make sure it can thrive in your area. “You can look at hardiness zone to measure a plant’s tolerance for the temperatures in your region, but other factors like light and soil conditions combined with the native range will weigh more heavily on how well a plant grows,” Trisha Singh, vice president of product at Garden for Wildlife says.

If you are in plant hardiness zones 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a and 11b, you will have the best chances at supporting firetail chenille. “It requires warm temperatures, ideally above 60°F, and won’t tolerate drops below 50°F,” says Pabst. In addition, the firetail chenille will need full to partial sun and sandy, loamy soil.

If you are not in these zones, firetail chenille can also grow happily indoors or in a greenhouse to mimic its preferred tropical climate. “If you’re growing it indoors during winter, you’ll need to provide as much light and humidity as possible, though you can reduce watering and fertilizing. Without optimal conditions like those in a greenhouse, it’s likely to decline somewhat in winter,” Pabst adds.

How to Grow Firetail Chenille

Now, for the fun part—planting! Find a suitably sized container and fill it with your loamy soil. Transplant your nursery starter into the soil and water immediately. While the plant establishes its roots, be sure to keep the soil consistently moist.

Then, throughout its growing season, water it every 2 or 3 days, or before the soil dries out completely. Keep the plant in a place that exceeds 60 degrees, and for best results, till in a half-strength balanced flower fertilizer every week. Ta-da: a new, vibrant plant friend!

FAQ

Is firetail chenille the same as the chenille plant?

Firetail chenille is a variety of the chenille plant, of which there are several.

How do I propagate firetail chenille?

“For the best results, it’s usually recommended to take stem cuttings in early spring and start anew each year, discarding the original plant,” Pabst says.

About the Experts

• Trisha Singh is the vice president of product at Garden for Wildlife, a program run by the National Wildlife Federation, which encourages wildlife-friendly gardening spaces. Trisha is a wildlife biologist who enjoys native plant gardening and helping to support others in their native gardening pursuits.
• Gail Pabst is the marketing director for the National Garden Bureau, a non-profit organization that promotes home gardening.