How to care for zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa)

Aphelandra squarrosa · Saffron spike

Zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) — a compact evergreen shrub from Brazil, grown indoors for its glossy dark green leaves up to 30 cm long with bold white, silver or yellow veins, and its spikes of waxy yellow flowers in maroon-tinted yellow bracts. Zebra plant needs partial shade. Water it about every 5 days while it grows and about every 8 days in the winter rest.

Checked against sources: November 5, 2026

Watering and repotting zebra plant through the year

It lives indoors all year, so it has no sowing or planting dates: it grows from March to September and rests from October to February (the other way round in the southern hemisphere).

Repot it about every 12 months.

When to plant zebra plant?

Plant or repot zebra plant in spring, as it starts into growth; early to midsummer also works. It is a houseplant, so it has no outdoor planting date and no frost decides it: just avoid autumn and winter, when growth slows and fresh compost stays wet too long. After that, move it to a slightly larger pot about every year, or sooner once roots circle the pot or grow through the drainage holes.

Watering in the growing and resting halves of the year: Watering and repotting zebra plant through the year.

Sources: RHS: How to repot a plant · Penn State Extension: Repotting houseplants

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Latin name	Aphelandra squarrosa
Family	Acanthaceae
Also called	Saffron spike
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Repotting	every 12 months
Grown in	At home

Zebra plant care by growth stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 5 days	—	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 28 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 42 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 56 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 70 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 84 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 98 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 112 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 8 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Plenty of warm, bright, indirect light, for example by an east or west window. Too much direct sun scorches the leaves, and long periods of indirect light encourage flowering.

Soil

Peat-free houseplant compost with some horticultural grit added; it must drain well, and slightly acidic soil suits it best.

Care

Keep the soil moist while it grows but never let it dry out completely; both drought and too much water make the lower leaves brown and drop, and it dislikes wet feet. It needs warmth, not below 18 °C, and high humidity — stand the pot on wet pebbles or keep it in a bathroom. In winter it rests partly, so water less but do not stop. Feed with a general liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks in summer; RHS gives monthly feeding in winter. After flowering cut the stems back to a strong pair of leaves, which keeps it from going leggy, and root the 8–10 cm side shoots or the cuttings; the plant is short-lived, so new plants are worth making. Repot every year into the next pot size. Brown leaf tips mean dry air. Watch for aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, spider mites and mealybugs. ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Pests and diseases of Zebra plant

3 problems are recorded for zebra plant; each has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Pests

Other plants of the Acanthaceae family

Zebra plant belongs to Acanthaceae; 2 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Houseplants · Houseplants safe for cats and dogs · Flowering houseplants · Thirsty houseplants

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.