Dragon’s Tongue Flame (Hemigraphis repanda) — Live Terrarium Plant

Humidity-Loving · Terrarium & Paludarium Ready · Bold Burgundy Color · Ships Potted or Bare Root

Overview

Dragon’s Tongue Flame (Hemigraphis repanda) is a vibrant tropical terrarium plant prized for its narrow, wavy-edged leaves in rich burgundy and red-purple, with purple undersides. Those jewel tones create dramatic contrast against moss, ferns, and green foliage in terrariums, vivariums, paludariums, and fairy gardens.

This humidity-loving plant grows into a bushy, low mound, and its stems root wherever they touch moist soil, so over time it spreads into a colorful ground cover. It's easy to maintain, forgiving of small care mistakes, and simple to propagate, which makes it a favorite with beginners and collectors alike.

What You'll Receive

• 1 live Dragon’s Tongue Flame, hand-selected for healthy, colorful foliage
• Your choice of format:
  • Potted — arrives rooted in a nursery grow pot
  • Bare Root — ships without pot or soil at a lower price, ready to plant straight into your terrarium or paludarium substrate
• Size: approx. 5–8 inches tall

Every plant is one of a kind. Size and color vary naturally.

Key Features

• Burgundy, red-purple foliage with purple leaf undersides
• Narrow, wavy-edged leaves that add fine texture to any layout
• Bushy, creeping growth that fills in as a colorful ground cover
• Humidity-loving, perfect for terrariums and vivariums
• Easy to propagate from stem cuttings
• Beginner-friendly and forgiving of minor care mistakes

Benefits

• Adds bold color, texture, and depth to terrariums and paludariums
• Creates a striking focal point or a low, colorful carpet
• Contrasts beautifully with moss and green foliage plants
• Easy to multiply, so one plant can fill more space over time
• Stays small enough for tabletop terrariums and fairy gardens

Product Specifications

Care Guide

Light

Give it moderately bright to bright, indirect light, or a terrarium LED. Keep it out of direct sun, which can scorch the leaves and overheat a glass enclosure.

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, watering when the surface just begins to dry. Don't let the plant sit in waterlogged soil.

Humidity

Dragon’s Tongue loves humidity: 60–80% is ideal, and it needs at least 50%. That makes terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums its best home. In an enclosure, our Automatic Misting System for Terrariums keeps humidity steady with no daily misting.

Temperature

Keep it between 65–80°F (18–27°C). It tolerates brief dips to about 55°F (13°C), but it grows best when it's warm.

Soil

Use a peat-based, well-draining mix with perlite, or a well-draining terrarium substrate over a drainage layer.

Fertilization

Feed lightly with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer every few weeks in spring and summer, and stop feeding in late fall and winter.

Pruning & Propagation

Pinch back the stem tips to keep it bushy and in scale with your terrarium. Snip stem cuttings or separate rooted runners and replant them to fill new spots.

Perfect For

• Closed and open terrariums
• Vivariums
• Paludarium land areas
• Fairy gardens
• Tabletop planters
• Color-focused plant displays

Important Notes

• Not an aquarium plant. Dragon’s Tongue is often sold as an aquatic plant, but it isn't fully aquatic. It can survive underwater for a while, then melts away. In a paludarium, plant it in the land area or at the moist edge, above the waterline.
• Needs humidity. Grow it in a terrarium, a vivarium, or a humid room.
• It spreads. Stems root where they touch the soil, so pinch it back to keep it in bounds.
• Natural variation. Each plant is unique and may vary in size and color. Images are for reference only.

Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee live arrival when our temperature guidelines are followed.

If your plant arrives damaged, contact us within 2 hours of delivery with clear photos. We'll send a replacement within 2 business days.

Extreme weather packaging is required when temperatures are below 40°F or above 100°F.

Why Choose Dragon’s Tongue Flame?

• Vibrant jewel-tone foliage that stands out in any enclosure
• Compact terrarium size with a spreading, carpet-forming habit
• Easy care and forgiving of minor mistakes
• Great for beginners and collectors alike
• Two ways to buy: potted, or bare root to plant straight into your setup
• Carefully packed and backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee
• Curated by PlantedPro, a specialist shop for live plants, terrariums, and aquascaping

Your Top 5 Questions — Answered

Q. Can Dragon’s Tongue grow underwater in an aquarium?

= Not long-term. Although it's often sold as an aquarium plant, Dragon’s Tongue isn't fully aquatic. It can survive submerged for a while, but it eventually melts away. For lasting results, grow it emersed in a terrarium, or in the land area of a paludarium above the waterline.

Q. Is Dragon’s Tongue safe for cats and dogs?

= The ASPCA hasn't rated Dragon’s Tongue itself. It does list a close relative, the purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis exotica), as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Eating any plant can still upset a sensitive stomach, so it's best to keep it out of reach of pets that chew.

Q. How big does Dragon’s Tongue get?

= It typically grows about 4–8 inches tall, occasionally up to 12 inches. Its stems creep and root where they touch the soil, so it spreads into a low, colorful ground cover. Pinch it back regularly to keep it compact in smaller terrariums.

Q. Why are my Dragon’s Tongue leaves drooping or drying out?

= The usual causes are low humidity or dry soil. Keep humidity at 50% or higher, ideally 60–80%, and keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy. Plants outside an enclosure often perk up once they're moved into a terrarium.

Q. Is Dragon’s Tongue Hemigraphis repanda or Strobilanthes sinuata?

= Both names refer to the same plant. Botanists now classify Dragon’s Tongue as Strobilanthes sinuata, but it's still widely sold under its older name, Hemigraphis repanda.