Plum Dandy Alternanthera

Plum Dandy™ is a compact, mounding Alternanthera grown for its plum-purple foliage with olive-green tones. Proven Winners lists it as an annual for containers and landscape plantings, with a mature height of 10–16 inches and spread of 12–20 inches ([Proven Winners plant profile](https://c3.provenwinners.com/plants/alternanthera/plum-dandy-alternanthera)). ## Foliage and placement The strongest color develops in brighter light, though the cultivar also grows in part sun. Its low, rounded outline and bold foliage make it useful as a container filler or a foreground accent among finer-textured plants. It is grown primarily for leaves rather than flowers. The plant profile lists USDA Zones 10–11, so in colder climates it is generally used as a warm-season annual. ## Growing conditions Proven Winners lists average water needs and heat tolerance. Use a container or bed with adequate drainage, and water when the root zone begins to dry rather than keeping it saturated. The name Plum Dandy is the marketed cultivar; the catalog’s hybrid designation does not specify parent species, so its parentage is left unresolved. Kew accepts Alternanthera brasiliana within the same genus and places the genus in Amaranthaceae, supporting the family assignment without implying that this hybrid is that species ([Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:10294-2)). ## Maintenance Pinch or shear only if needed to keep the mound within its allotted space; routine shaping is optional.