Common Name: Oyster Plant
Scientific Name: Rhoeo spathacea
Size: 12" tall x 12" wide at maturity
Zone: 9b-12
Care: I'll be discussing care for the oyster plant being kept as a houseplant. This plant is fairly drought tolerant. That said, it still needs to be watered regularly, especially just after planting, but if you forget and skip a watering or two, it's not going to die on you. Over watering will cause rot and will kill it. So, water only once the soil dries out.
It needs to be planted in soil with good drainage. Potting soils marketed for cactus meet this requirement, but there are other options if you take a look.
Oyster plant likes to have plenty of sunlight, but can do ok in some shade. The shadier the spot, the slower it will grow and the less leaves it will have.
Cultivars: There are a few different cultivars available. 'Tricolor,' the one shown above has pink and purple tones in the leaves. 'Gold' is a yellow cultivar. 'Veriegata' is a veriegated, yellow and green stripy leaves, cultivar.
Warning: Oyster plant sap can cause skin irritation and will cause itching and burning in the mouth of eaten. Keep it out of reach of kids and pets.
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