Species · genus Aphelandra · Acanthaceae

Saffron Spike

Aphelandra squarrosa Nees

Also known as: Zebraplant · Zebra-plant

Growth habit

subshrub

Native range

Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast

Reference · A. squarrosa

Cultivars of A. squarrosa

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under A. squarrosa yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A subshrub from the warm, humid forests of eastern Brazil, this plant grows in dappled understory light rather than open sun. Give it bright indirect light and keep it warm; water when the top inch of mix has dried, then water thoroughly and let it approach dryness again. It dislikes both standing water and prolonged drought, and benefits from consistent humidity.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

18–27 °C

Soil mix

Peat-based mix with perlite for drainage

Propagation

Tip cuttings rooted in warm, humid conditions

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed every two weeks while growing

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Bright yellow bracts appear readily in good light indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Saffron Spike yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.