Caribbean copper plant is a tropical American plant with foliage that provides a burst of rich burgundy red color to a garden. Outdoors in warmer climates it is a large shrub or small tree reaching 12 feet high, with a nice rounded habit. The broad three-inch leaves have long petioles and are arranged in whorls of three. The plants take full sun or light shade, and are drought-tolerant. The species name "cotinifolius" refers to Cotinus, the genus for our native smoke bush, which it resembles from a distance. This is more closely related to poinsettias, though, and it has milky sap that can be irritating to the skin. During summer it produces clusters of tiny flowers that are green with a fringe of white. It is sometimes sold as "hierba mala", but that just means "weed" in Spanish.