Question
I received a plant for a gift and have no idea what it is or how to care for it.  It is about 2 ft tall in a gallon pot. It has green fibrous stems and ruffled leaves that are light green underneath and red/burgundy on top. The tops are also velvety to the touch and all leaves end in a point. Does this sound like any plant you know? I also want to know if it can be planted outside. I live in SE North Carolina and our yearly temps vary from winter lows in the teens to summer highs just over 100 degrees. Does it need sun or shade? I have great luck with annuals outside, have a small vegetable garden and several types of azaleas. HELP!

Answer
Hi Betty,

Was this sold to you as an indoor houseplant? If not, then it may be outside my area of expertise.

If you are unsure, perhaps you can e-mail a photo to me at [email protected]. Otherwise I will need a more detailed description including the length, width and overall shape of the leaves, where the leaves emerge from the stems, how many leaves per stem, etc.

Will Creed