A tender tropical foliage plant grown for its boldly patterned, toothed leaves rather than its flowers — magenta, maroon, lime, and copper combinations in almost every color of the spectrum except true blue. A frost-sensitive perennial native to tropical and subtropical Asia and northern Australia, it is grown almost everywhere outside USDA zones 10-11 as a warm-season annual, container plant, or houseplant. The small blue-to-white nettle-like flower spikes are insignificant and are usually pinched off to keep the plant compact and the foliage at its best.

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