Species · genus Homalomena · Araceae

Red Shield Homalomena

Homalomena rubescens (Roxb.) Kunth

Also known as: Maggie · Queen of Hearts · Pink Homalomena

Growth habit

perennial or subshrub

Native range

Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Myanmar

Homalomena rubescens — reference photo — Wight, R. · Public domain

Cultivars of H. rubescens

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

No named cultivars catalogued under H. rubescens 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 Perennial Aroid

Homalomena rubescens is a perennial or subshrub in the arum family, Araceae. It belongs to a genus of tropical foliage plants that spend their lives low and leafy rather than climbing.

Source: Kew

From Sikkim to Myanmar

This species is native to a stretch running from Sikkim through to Myanmar, with confirmed native populations in Assam, Bangladesh, the East Himalaya region, and Myanmar. It was first described by Roxburgh as Calla rubescens before later being placed in Homalomena by Kunth in 1841. It grows primarily within the wet tropical biome, the humid forest floors typical of that range.

Source: Kew

A Named Cultivar

The cultivar known as 'Maggy' is a recognised, accepted form of this species grown as a houseplant. It belongs to the same Araceae family as its wild relatives, but is distinguished as a selected garden variety rather than a wild-collected type.

Source: RHS

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 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–29 °C

Soil mix

Loose, well-draining aroid mix rich in organic matter

Propagation

Division of the rhizome clump

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for its red-flushed foliage

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araceae typically contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate the mouth and digestive tract if chewed. 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.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Red Shield Homalomena yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.