Nancy Engel
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Botanical Name
Acalypha wilkesiana 'Beyond Paradise'
Plant Common Name
Beyond Paradise Acalypha, Copperleaf, Wilkes' Acalypha
General Description
Spectacular bold foliage makes ‘Beyond Paradise’ a must-have for the tropical garden. This Proven Winners'selection sports large leaves mottled with rich copper, olive, rose and dark green.
An evergreen shrub native to the Pacific islands, copperleaf bears bright foliage in many mixed colors. It is a popular landscape plant in subtropical and tropical zones and planted as a houseplant or annual in cooler zones. The name, Acalypha wilkesiana, honors Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, an American Naval Officer who explored the South Pacific during the mid-1800s.
Beautiful, mottled leaves are the reason copperleaf is so popular in the garden. They are large, oval to elliptical, and alternate along the stems. The leaf edges are distinctly toothed and sometimes differ in color from the rest of the leaf. Different cultivars have different unique color combinations in shades of red, copper, bronze, purple, white and/or green. Tiny, inconspicuous, reddish flowers are produced in thin, hanging spikes called catkins. They are followed by capsule fruits filled with minuscule, hard seeds.
Copperleaf grows well in both full sun or partial shade. The leaves are more brightly colored if plants are given a bit of shade during the hottest part of the day. Indoor specimens should be provided bright, indirect light. Provide in-ground or container-grown plants fertile, slightly acid soil that's well-drained. Though drought tolerant once established, regular applications of water will produce the healthiest, prettiest plants.
A few copperleafs go a long way in the interior or exterior landscape. Their large, strongly colored leaves look gaudy if overused, so it's best to plant them sparingly as focal accents for shrub or mixed borders.
