Phyllanthaceae FAMILY

Breynia disticha

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub

Growth—

Grows best in partial shade, though full sun brings out the colours of the variegated forms^[1]. Prefers a moist, fertile soil^[1]. The plant can sucker profusely. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized by spreading vegetatively via root suckers where formerly planted around abandoned homesites in Hawaii^[2]. The plant can flower all year round, though the flowers are inconspicuous^[1].

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings Suckers Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Breynia+disticha>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide — Whistler. W. Arthur. · Timber Press Inc. Oregon. · 2000 · ISBN 0-88192-448-2 ↩︎An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses.
[2]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
[3]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.