Goeppertia zebrina (zebra plant)
Native to Brazil from Bahia to Santa Catarina, this plant is an evergreen perennial herb of tropical rainforests. It spreads from underground rhizomes to form clumps, typically one to three feet tall. Its velvety leaves have dark green bands on a lighter green background and purple undersides. Small white or purple flowers appear in compact spikes, although flowering is uncommon in cultivation. Widely grown as a houseplant, it has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. New plants are propagated by dividing the clumps. Photographed in QuindĂo, Colombia.
