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Purple heart plants, often known as purple queens, are low maintenance and can be grown inside or outdoors. I’ll provide you all the information you need to keep them healthy in this post.
Purple heart plants are a common choice for both indoor and outdoor planting due to their eye-catching leaves.
Additionally, it requires little maintenance, making it the perfect plant for novices who wish to learn how to cultivate a Tradescantia pallida.
This purple heart plant care guide will teach you what it takes to maintain healthy, attractive foliage.
You’ll be well-prepared to appreciate the trailing, vibrant growth in your garden or home once you understand the needs for light, water, pruning, and propagation.
Can purple heart be grown indoors?
A fast-growing member of the spiderwort family with dark purple leaves and long purple stems is the purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida), also known as purple secretia or purple queen. Although the plants also produce tiny pink and purple flowers, it’s the leaves that really stand out.
Plants with purple hearts have several uses. It works well as a trailing border around rock gardens and other enclosed garden settings, as well as a ground cover to provide a pop of foliage and bloom color to your landscaping. It will also flourish in a hanging basket indoors or outdoors or in a planter on the patio.
The native Mexican plant known as the purple heart was previously classified under the genus Setcreasea pallida, but a botanist at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew changed its classification to Tradescantia in 1975. The plant is still frequently referred to by its previous names, S. pallida or S. purpurea.
How is a purple heart plant cared for indoors?
Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm) long, upright-growing stems eventually trail over the side of the pot.
Bright light is required to preserve the dark purple hue. While some direct sunlight is acceptable, protect your plant from the intense summer sun. Tradescantia pallida needs more sunshine if the intervals between the leaves are long.
Thoroughly water the plant, then wait 1 inch (2.5 cm) to dry out in between applications of water. When growth is slower in the winter, use less water. Cut off the entire stem at the soil line if it is limp or wilted as this may indicate root rot.
Room humidity is average (around 40 percent relative humidity). The brown tips of leaves indicate dry air. Check out these simple methods for increasing humidity around your indoor plants.
Normal to warm indoor conditions (65–80°F/18–27°C) are ideal for this plant throughout the year. In the winter, purple heart can withstand temperatures as low as 50F/10C. Keep away from air vents and drafts coming in through doors.
Feed your plants weekly in the spring and summer with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer (such as 10-10-10 NPK).
Take 4 in (10 cm) stem tip cuttings for propagation in the spring or early summer. In moist potting soil, they’ll root with ease.
Can purple heart be grown in containers?
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.
Are purple heart plants thirsty plants?
Water. The purple heart plant is thought to be drought-tolerant and won’t need much watering. However, it is advisable not to let the plant dry for extended periods of time for best growth. When the top layer of soil seems dry to the touch, water the plant.
Can purple heart endure the winter?
The slender, folded leaves develop in dense, spreading clumps that reach a height of about 10 inches from erect to trailing, succulent stems. The pinkish hue of the new shoots is perfectly complemented by tiny, fleeting pink blooms that sporadically grow at the stem tips. In mild regions, purple heart looks beautiful all year long. Frost will inhibit top growth elsewhere, but plants can regrowth from the roots. As far north as USDA Zone 6, purple heart may endure the winter months.
Use it in borders, planters, and hanging baskets for an eye-catching color accent. Red, yellow, and orange blooms contrast brilliantly with silver foliage, which pairs well with white or pink blossoms. The plant purple heart is ideal for use as a groundcover. You may wish to maintain it in pots or in locations bordered by pavers because it can spread aggressively in areas where it is hardy. Additionally, it looks fantastic indoors.
Culture: Purple heart may tolerate mild shade, but it prefers a location with wet but well-drained soil and full sun. To promote branching, pinch or trim the shoot tips every few weeks. You may simply start new plants from the bits of the stem that were cut off since they take root quickly.
Special remarks: Purple heart is a drought-tolerant plant that enjoys frequent watering.
How much sunlight is required by purple heart plants?
Once they are established, tradescantia pallida require minimal maintenance. But if you experience one of these more typical problems, my advice can help you heal them.
Leaves Are Turning Green
Lack of sunshine is the most frequent reason for green leaves on your purple queen plant.
The rich purple color needs to be maintained in the daylight or 8+ hours of bright light indoors each day.
Yellow Leaves
The most common cause of yellowing purple heart leaves is overwatering. When the top few inches of soil are completely dry, give them a drink.
Yellow leaves can also result from extreme light deprivation, a lack of water, or poor nutrition.
Leggy Purple Queen Plant
Long stemmed, leggy growth might be an indication of age or a lack of sunshine. Make sure it receives 8+ hours per day of direct sunlight or bright indoor lighting.
If not, start pruning lanky stems and pinching back fresh tips for spring growth that is more compact.
Brown Leaves
Brown leaves are another typical sign of aging, though they could also be caused by a lack of moisture or low humidity.
Regularly check the soil to make sure it isn’t too dry, and if necessary use a humidifier or pebble tray indoors.
If the centre of the plant is becoming brown, aging is probably to blame. To revitalize it, give it a severe pruning.
The maximum size of purple heart plants
Pink blooms are produced by the trailing perennial “Purple Heart” in the summer. It has violet-purple leaves and purple stems. This plant is primarily grown for its foliage, which can grow to a length of 7 inches. For the greatest color, place the plant in direct sunlight with a dry, confined root zone. It works well in hanging baskets, containers, and as a groundcover. It expands to a 16-inch width and 8–12-inch height.
Care
Provide a sunny location with wet soil. Pinch to promote bushiness, and after flowering, prune flower stalks. When there is active growth, water sparingly and fertilize every month.
Propagation
Cut stem tips that are 2 to 3 inches long, place in soil mixture or water, and pot up.
How frequently should a purple heart plant 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.
Is the purple heart plant poisonous to people?
Purple Heart, also known as Tradescantia pallida, is a wonderful and vibrant houseplant. It comes from Eastern Mexico and can be grown as a trailing plant or as a ground cover. It is ideal for hanging baskets and can trail for up to 2 feet. The leaves are slender and pointed, measuring 2 to 5 inches long. The bottoms of the leaves are a deep purple color, and the tops vary in color from green to purple. Along the leaves, they have tiny translucent hairs as well.
Low light is acceptable, but it may cause the leaves to become more green. thrives in indirect light that is medium to bright and has some morning sun.
Before watering, allow the top inch of soil to dry off. To prevent root rot, water till it emerges from the drainage hole gently and evenly.
Home humidity ranges from average to high. When the air is too dry, the tips become brown.
Additional Care: The thin stems and leaves are easily snapped. Keep it in a hanging basket or any other secure location. Trim if it’s becoming too lanky or to encourage bushier growth. Steer clear of drafts.
Where should a purple heart plant be pinched?
To make the plant bushier, clip the stem tips. Whenever the plants start to look spindly or leggy, repeat. Cut the stems back to roughly half their original height after flowering. Healthy, bright plants are produced by pruning the plants.
My purple heart plant is turning green—why is that?
Indications There is not enough light reaching your plant. The leaves were once purple before changing to green. Growth appears to be slower. The stems and leaves might be slimmer.
Are purple queen and purple heart interchangeable?
Purple heart plant will be recommended if you ask The Southern Living Garden Book for advice on a tough plant with a gorgeous color payoff. It is a lovely, hardy perennial also known as Tradescantia pallida “Purple Heart” with long, trailing stems that resemble rambling vines. Purple hearts are typically seen in hanging baskets or planted in pots. They are well named since its foliage has violet and silvery purple tones.
Perennial members of the Commelinaceae family, sometimes referred to as the spiderwort family, are the tradescantia species. Previously known as Setcreasea pallida “Purple Heart,” Tradescantia pallida “Purple Heart” is also known as purple queen. Native to the Gulf Coast of Mexico, purple heart can reach heights of one to one and a half feet and spread out to a width of one to one and a half feet. It produces little purple blooms in the summer along with long, oval-shaped purple leaves. Due to its stunning look, it is ideal for regular use as an ornamental plant in gardens, along driveways, or along borders.