ADULTPLANTS

Triostar stromanthe

Stromanthe sanguinea

Family Marantaceae Native to Brazil Habitat tropical understory Also sold as Stromanthe thalia

Triostar stromanthe wants medium light and water every 4 to 8 days, once the surface is just dry to the touch. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Triostar stromanthe (Stromanthe sanguinea)
Stromanthe sanguinea. Photograph by Photo by David J. Stang, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Three feet back from an east window. Too much light washes the pink out; too little and new leaves come through plain green.
Water
Every 4–8 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is just dry to the touch, not on a schedule.
Humidity
55% and up
Wants 70%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Temperature
65–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Difficulty
Demanding
Scores 4 of 5: Scores 4 of 5: the pink variegation carries less chlorophyll, so it needs good light to keep colour and high humidity to avoid crisping, and those two demands pull against each other indoors.
Habit
Clumping
Grows to 18–30 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs

Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.

Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →

What each authority says
ASPCA
No record page found under any name tested.
NC State Extension
Entry exists and records no poison data.

Light

Medium light. Three feet back from an east window. Too much light washes the pink out; too little and new leaves come through plain green.

Water

Every 4 to 8 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is just dry to the touch.

Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.

Methodkeep evenly moist
Test before wateringthe surface is just dry to the touch

Soil and potting

Two parts peat-free potting soil, one part perlite, one part fine bark.

Repot roughly every 2 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.

Common problems

Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.

Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.

Pests

Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.

Propagation

Division in soil. Roots in 28 to 56 days.

Preferred methoddivision
Mediumsoil
Time to root28–56 days
Node requiredNo
Best seasonSpring and summer

Full propagation guide for this species →

Sources

  1. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Stromanthe sanguinea (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
  2. Wikidata entity Q15251677 — taxonomy and entity identity.
  3. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Stromanthe sanguinea Checked 2026-09-12.
  4. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Stromanthe sanguinea Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
  5. Photograph: Photo by David J. Stang, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 4.0.

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it. How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02