Tradescantia pallida is a delicate evergreen perennial grown as an ornamental for its eye-catching purple foliage. It is native to northeast Mexico, from Tamaulipas to Yucatan. Joseph Nelson Rose gave it the name Setcreasea pallida in 1911, but D.R. Hunt of the Royal Botanic Garden Kew classed it in the genus Tradescantia in 1975. S. pallida or S. purpurea, the former names, are still frequently used.
This herbaceous plant in the Commelinaceae (spiderwort family) is a low-growing trailer that is commonly known as purple heart or purple heart wandering jew (and occasionally “Moses in the Basket, although this usually refers to a different species). It is hardy in zones 7 through 10, but it is easily grown as an annual or houseplant in colder climates.
On thick stalks, dark purple, lance-shaped leaves up to 7 long are produced alternately. The fleshy leaves create a sheath around the stem and are covered in light hairs. The stems are exceedingly delicate and can snap off when brushed or vigorously kicked. It will wither down to the ground in the winter in colder climates, but in the spring it will reappear from the roots. The sprawling plants can extend much farther and grow to a height of nearly a foot.
At the ends of the stems, relatively unnoticeable pink or pale purple blooms with vivid yellow stamens appear from midsummer through fall, as well as intermittently at other seasons. The three petals on these half-inch broad blooms are characteristic for this genus.
Purple heart can be grown as a houseplant, as a ground cover, as a trailer in a variety of containers, or cascading in baskets. They spread rather quickly and work best when planted in large groups in the ground. The purple foliage complements other plants’ pink, light purple, or burgundy blossoms beautifully and contrasts well with their gold, chartreuse, or variegated leaves. For striking combos, use it with complementing hues. scarlet begonias, orange marigolds, or chartreuse coleus.
Try putting it in a container with golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ or other types), Marguerite beautiful sweet potatoes, or light green asparagus fern. Alternately, pair it with coral-colored scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’), pink petunias, or lavender or pink verbena. Four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), lantana, scaveola, vinca (Catharantheus roseus), and Mexican petunia are other recommendations for plants with pink or purple flowers (Ruellia brittonia).
For best color development, cultivate purple heart in full sun; plants grown in shadow tend to be more green than purple. Plants can grow more compactly if you pinch them. Plants can withstand drought and grow when neglected, but they also accept constant watering. When you are actively growing, fertilize every month. After flowering, prune plants to keep them from becoming spindly. Reduce watering throughout the winter and hold off on fertilizing houseplants or those grown in containers to be kept indoors during the winter. Scales and mealybugs can be a nuisance, but purple heart has few other pests. Some people and dogs may have skin redness and irritation from the juice from the leaves or stems, but this is not a frequent issue.
Simply push a node into the soil or potting mix to get a cutting from any section of the plant to root, and plants can be readily propagated (or place in water until roots develop). This plant can also be grown from seed, however that material is infrequently accessible.
Does Tradescantia pallida grow inside?
You might wish to add Purple Heart Plant to your collection if you’ve never grown it. It belongs to the same family as the purple-and-silver-green striped Inch Plant and is as simple to grow. The scientific name for T. pallida is Setcreasea purpurea.
Get to Know Purple Heart Plant
This indoor plant is stunning all year round because to its clusters of lance-shaped, deep purple leaves. Purple Heart Pot For a striking table accent, plant in a tiny attractive vase. Alternately, hang it from a basket and let the protruding, long stems hang over the edge.
This plant should be handled with care because its fleshy stems are delicate and susceptible to breaking off. Placing Purple Heart Plant where you won’t bump into it is a smart idea.
Small, three-petaled, pink flowers should blossom throughout the summer. They develop in the leaf axils and stand out strikingly against the dark foliage.
Your plant can remain indoors all year long. However, if you take it outside for the summer, make sure it is protected from the sun’s rays during the hottest time of day. To ensure that the soil doesn’t dry out, inspect it every few days as well.
Growing Tradescantia pallida Indoors
Allow the sun to enter. For healthy foliage color, grow your plant in bright light year-round. Even though it needs less light to thrive, the leaves will still be more green than purple. Give it some direct sunlight, but cover it in the summer from the intense midday sun to prevent leaf blistering.
Squeeze your plant. Keeping Tradescantia pallida compact by pinching off new stem tips will encourage branching. Keep those cuttings since you can easily grow more plants from them. Do not be afraid to cut stems back to a length of around 6 in (15 cm) if your plant starts to droop and develop long gaps between leaves.
When you notice roots poking through the drainage holes in the spring, repotter. To give it a little more area to grow, move up to a pot that is only 1 or 2 inches (2.5 – 5 cm) larger. To avoid damp soil, which causes root rot, use a pot with drainage holes. A stylish planter without drainage holes is what you want to utilize. Use it as a cachepot by placing a simple nursery pot inside of it. Cachepots have pebbles in the bottom to keep them above the drainage water.
Size and Growth
Setcreasea pallida, also known as Tradescantia pallida, is a delicate plant with short stems. It grows in small mounds and only reaches to a height of 8 inches.
The stunningly purple, evergreen leaves are produced on the trailing stalks, which can spread up to 18 inches or more.
The slender, v-shaped leaves are 4 to 6 inches long. The sprawling plant offers weedy ground cover when cultivated outside.
Purple Heart plants, especially young ones, have delicate stems. The stems could break if kicked or trodden on.
Light and Temperature
Although it can take full sun, Tradescantia pallida purple heart grows best in partial shade.
Although purple heart Tradescantia grows best in the shade, bright light or full sun can enhance the hue of the purple leaves.
In countries with moderate climates, it is frequently cultivated as an annual in gardens; in cooler climes, it is typically kept indoors as a houseplant.
It needs filtered light for at least eight hours a day when cultivated indoors.
During the warmer spring and summer months, try to bring the plant outside to promote brighter foliage.
Soil and Transplanting
Tradescantia pallida should be grown on loamy soil. It need to provide respectable water retention and effective drainage.
Organic matter, such as compost or peat moss, should be added to ordinary garden soil to increase its quality.
Add a little sand if the soil is too rich. To replenish the soil, transplant as necessary or every few years.
Grooming
After flowering in the fall, prune the plant back to control growth. Additionally, yearly grooming promotes bushier growth.
Before bringing plants inside over the winter, prune them to encourage bushier growth the next year.
How frequently should purple hearts be watered?
Purple heart is fairly drought-tolerant once planted, but if it receives regular summer water, it will appear cleaner and more lush. From spring till fall, water it once a week with an inch of water. To keep the roots healthy, let the soil surface dry out in between waterings. Increase watering to twice weekly during periods of high heat or drought if the soil is drying out sooner than usual. In the winter, cut back on watering to once every two weeks, and avoid providing any during rainy weather. Purple hearts growing in pots should also be watered if the top layer of soil becomes dry. Fill the pot with water until the extra drains out of the drainage holes. For this plant, always use containers with drainage holes.
How is a purple heart plant cared for indoors?
- In a pot with potting soil designed for commercial use, plant purple heart.
- Either place the container in direct sunlight or light shade.
- Use a general-purpose liquid fertilizer for indoor plants to fertilize the plant once a month.
- To cultivate a bushy, compact plant, pinch the plant’s growing tips.
What can I do to make my Tradescantia pinker?
Additionally, the Tradescantia genus contains 75 different kinds of wildflowers. The 17th-century botanist John Tradescant is credited with giving the place its name.
The term “wandering” describes how it spreads quickly and roams all over your window sill. They are quite simple to grow indoors. The majority are indigenous to South America, where they form thick mats beneath forest trees.
I put my Fittonia albivenis mosaic plant next to my Tradescantia tricolor to bring out the gorgeous pink hues. The green leaves of this trailing plant have veins that are dark pink. They work well together.
Why is my plant with purple hearts dying?
I’ve addressed some of the most frequent queries about purple heart plant maintenance in this article. Please add it to the comments box below if yours isn’t already there.
Why is my purple heart plant dying?
Your purple heart plant is dying for a number of different reasons. Common causes include inconsistent watering (often too much), a lack of sunlight, or low conditions.
Is the purple heart plant indoor or outdoor?
Given the right conditions, the purple heart plant can be successfully grown both inside and outside. In colder climates, it should be kept inside, but in warmer ones, it can spend the entire year outside.
Knowing how simple it is to cultivate, the eye-catching purple heart plant can be a lovely addition to your house or yard. To enjoy Tradescantia pallida for many years to come, use these care suggestions.
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