Bloodleaf
Iresine herbstii
Also called Chicken gizzard, Beefsteak plant and Joseph's coat (iresine)
Houseplant · Patterned foliagePinch it every few weeks and never let it flower — the flowers are insignificant and making them is what turns a dense red bush into four bare leggy stems. It is grown for leaves only.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 4 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Bright, with some direct sun — the colour fades without it
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.6 m tall · 0.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Brazil
Is it safe for pets and people?
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
ASPCA lists Iresine herbstii by this exact name — "Bloodleaf", and again as "Chicken-Gizzard" and "Joseph's Coat" — as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Checked against ASPCA on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- New leaves come through dull bronze-green while the old ones stay red. It is short of light, and no amount of feeding brings the colour back.Colour fading to green · disorder
- Four bare stems with a few leaves on top, and small dry buff flower clusters at the tips. Pinch those out on sight — making them is what emptied the bush.Going leggy after flowering · disorder