Iresine – Chicken Gizzard 4″

Iresine herbstii is a relatively uncommon plant, but one that’s gorgeous in any garden or as a houseplant. In all, there are about 30 species of Iresine plants in the genus, all of them native to South America, especially Brazil. They range from small to medium-sized shrubs, and most are perennial. The flowers on these plants are unremarkable, consisting of small greenish or white flowers on small stems, but instead, they are commonly grown for their striking foliage.

Aside from their interesting foliage, these plants are notable for the range of their common names. Besides blood leaf, they are known as the chicken gizzard plant, the beefsteak plant, and other descriptive names. They are more common in the Southern Hemisphere, which makes them novelties in the northern hemisphere.