Leea Coccinea Rubra

Botanical name: Leea coccinea Burgundy
Family: Leeaceae
Common names: Leea Burgundy, Red Leea, Hawaiian Holly, West Indian Holly ‘Rubra’

Leea Burgundy Description

Leea Burgundy also called Red Leea, Hawaiian Holly or West Indian Holly ‘Rubra’ is a rare but a perfect stand alone houseplant whose foliage in young plants is bronzy red but turns green when mature.

However, the variety Burgundy maintains the red foliage color through out if grown under good light.

Leea Burgundy Size

Leea Burgundy grows to a height of 6-8 ft and a diameter of about the same size.

Leea Burgundy Flower

Leea flowers are attractive to wasps, bees, butterflies, flies and bettles which act as potential insect pollinators. However, it rarely blooms when grown indoors.

The Leea Burgundy produces red flowers which later turn pink. The fruits are black berries.

Leea Burgundy Origin

Leea is a genus of plants that are distributed throughout Northern and Eastern Australia, New Guinea, South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.

There are about 70 species and they are placed in the Vitaceae family. But based on morphological differences, Leea plants are often placed in their family Leeaceae.

The genus was named by Linnaes after James Lee, the Scottish nurseryman based in Hammersmith, London who introduced many new plant discoveries to England at the end of the 18th century.

Leea Burgundy Plant (Leea coccinea Burgundy) Care Indoors

Leea Burgundy Light Requirements

Leea Burgundy grows best in bright light to light shade away from hot direct sunshine which causes the foliage to become yellowish.

Low light causes loss of leaf color in Leea Plant. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.

How to water Leea Burgundy

Water Leea Burgundy thoroughly during the growing season and maintain the soil consistently moist thorough out the season.

Reduce watering of your Leea Burgundy during the cold season to maintain the soil slightly moist. Read more on how to water houseplants.

Ensure the pot for your Leea Burgundy has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot disease.

Keep your Leea Burgundy away from draughts as they can lead to leaf drop. Check out this guide on

Humidity for Leea Burgundy

Leea Burgundy has no need for high humidity. Average room humidity is ideal for Leea Burgundy.

How to clean Leea Burgundy

To get rid of dust from the leaves and also discourage pest infestation for your Leea Burgundy, splash the plant with plenty of water from a steady jet of water. Read more on how to clean houseplants.

Fertilizer (Feeding) for Leea Burgundy

Feed Leea Burgundy with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 3-4 weeks during the growing season.

Withhold feeding during the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time can lead to fertilizer burn. Read more on how to feed houseplants.

How to repot Leea Burgundy

Repot a young Leea Burgundy at the beginning of the growing season into a pot 2 sizes larger than the previous one.

Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining to avoid soggy soil as it can lead to root-rot disease.

Replace the top 2-3 in. of soil every 2-3 years for mature Leea Burgundy plants while taking care not to injure the roots as it can lead to disease infestation.

How to prune Leea Burgundy

Pruning Leea Burgundy involves removal of any dead leaves to keep it neat and tidy.

Pinch the growing tips to encourage a bushy and compact growth. Cutback the stems at the beginning of the growing season when the plant becomes overgrown to rejuvenate growth.

Leea Burgundy (Leea coccinea Burgundy) Propagation

Leea Burgundy propagation is easily done from stem-tip cuttings at the beginning of the growing season.

Stem-tip cuttings are taken from the upper part of the plant. Here is a detailed account on how to propagate Leea Burgundy Plant.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Leea Burgundy Plant (Leea coccinea Burgundy) Problems Indoors

Leea Burgundy yellowing and dropping leaves

Leea Burgundy yellowing and dropping leaves is due to three possible causes.

One possible cause of Leea Burgundy yellowing and dropping leaves is incorrect watering; either overwatering or underwatering.

Maintain the soil for your Leea Burgundy consistently moist during the growing season and reduce watering in the cold season to maintain the soil slightly moist but never allow the soil to dry out completely.

The second possible cause of Leea Burgundy yellowing and dropping leaves is cold draughts. Protect your Leea Burgundy plant from cold draughts to maintain an average warmth with a minimum of 12⁰C.

The third possible cause of Leea Burgundy yellowing and dropping leaves is sudden change in the growing conditions.

Avoid moving your Leea Burgundy suddenly without acclimatizing it to the new growing conditions.

Leea Burgundy yellowing and dark leaf spots

Leea Burgundy yellowing and dark leaf spots are due to exposure to hot direct sunlight.

Leea Burgundy grows best in bright light to light shade away from direct sunlight. Move the plant to a shadier place or protect it from direct sunlight.

Leea Burgundy loss of leaf color

Leea Burgundy loss of leaf color is due to too little light. Leea Burgundy grows best in bright light to light shade away from direct sunlight.

Too little light will cause the plant to loss the beautiful leaf color. Move your Leea Burgundy to a brighter spot where it will receive bright light to light shade but away from direct sunlight.

Leea Burgundy not growing or stunted growth

Leea Burgundy not growing or stunted growth is due to two possible reasons.

One possible reason for Leea Burgundy not growing or stunted growth is inadequate feeding (underfeeding). Feed your Leea Burgundy every 3-4 weeks during the growing season with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.

The second possible reason for Leea Burgundy not growing or stunted growth is too little light. Leea Burgundy grows best in bright light to light shade away from direct sunlight.

Move your Leea Burgundy to a brighter spot where it will receive bright light to light shade but away from direct sunlight.

Is Leea Burgundy (Leea coccinea) toxic?

Leea Burgundy Plant (Leea coccinea) produces a milky sap which can irritate the skin.

Always wear gloves when handling Leea Burgundy. The plant is toxic to both humans and pets if ingested.