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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.
Purple Heart is either inside or outside.
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.
Can purple heart be grown indoors?
Tender perennial Tradescantia pallida ‘Purple Heart’ is frequently grown as a houseplant or as an annual. With purple stems that trail, violet-purple foliage, and summer-blooming pink flowers. It usually only grows once a year, however in protected regions or during mild winters, it might. For outdoor planting, choose a spot with full sun to moderate shade and well-drained, high-organic soil that maintains a consistent moisture level. The best color development will result from direct sunlight. Plants grown in shaded areas have a tendency to lean more green. Every flower has a one-day lifespan. As an ornamental ground cover or bedding plant, it has recently been grown outside. It thrives longer than most bedding plants and has a propensity to spread aggressively in beds.
Use it in hanging baskets or pots, or as an edging plant in rock gardens or borders. Back off to promote bushiness. coveted for its vibrant and distinctive purple stems, leaves, and quick growth. It is frequently planted indoors as a groundcover or in hanging baskets for interiorscapes.
Insects, diseases, and other plant issues: There aren’t any major issues, however aphids, vine weevils, scale insects, and mealybugs are drawn to the plants. Caterpillars, slugs, and snails can eat outside plants.
Although it is uncommon, the juice from the leaves and stems can occasionally make people’s and dogs’ skin red and irritated.
Needs sunlight to grow purple heart plants?
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.
Will my purple heart plant survive the winter outside?
Hello Neil Purpleheart is a plant I have never planted before, but it has performed admirably for me this year. It is said to be winter-resistant. Does it plan to return in the spring? My other roving Jew plants have never done so.
It’s the only one of those varieties that can withstand the winter. Even though it will freeze to the ground, if you don’t disturb it, it will reappear in the spring. Over that time, your planting should continue to develop thicker and thicker. It’s a wonderful perennial that many of us have grown to adore.
Hello Neil A friend in Wichita Falls has Desperado sage plants in her native plant garden. Large portions of several of them have long been on the verge of extinction. Both rain and irrigation have watered them adequately. What could be causing them to be dying partially?
If they have been kept very moist for an extended length of time, it may be due to poor drainage, but the majority of the ones I have observed struggling in the northern half of the state this year are still dealing with the effects of the extremely cold spell in January. My guess is that the recent cold would have been the culprit even if some plants took some time to reveal its effects.
Hello Neil The amount of brownish ladybugs flying about inside our home seems to be endless. How can we get rid of these annoyances and what are they? Or will they depart independently?
The multicolored Asian lady beetles are what these are (ladybugs). In an effort to combat scale insects and aphids, the United States Department of Agriculture released them 30 to 40 years ago. They are drawn to light-colored walls and strong lighting, though. They can produce a horrible smell and gather in the warm attics, walls, and crawl spaces. University entomologists advise caulking cracks where insects might be entering. Once they’ve gotten inside, it’s advised that you vacuum them out. If you can avoid it, avoid touching them, but if you must, wash your hands right away. They may irritate allergic sinuses. In general, it is not advised to use insecticides indoors to control them. It might imply that a sizable number of them would perish collectively.
Hello Neil Overnight, our lovely chrysanthemum turned from magnificent to absolutely destroyed. What kind of pest do I have in my picture, and what should I do with the plant and the insects?
You’re correct that those pests destroyed your mothers; they are spotted cucumber beetles. (Your thumbnail picture is of poor quality. They are described as looking like long, green ladybugs.) Plants should be pruned to within an inch of the soil line (which you should do at the end of the blooming season anyway). If you see any indications that new beetles are growing, treat the top of the ground with Sevin or Permethrin to kill the present insects. Stop them before they get out of control and treat them before they start eating the blooms.
Hello Neil Scale insects appeared on our Little Gem southern magnolia last year. Four months in a row, we had treatment, but the scales are again returning. How do we get rid of them? We only want to remove the scales from the tree.
Sincerity be told, scale insects rarely harm magnolias. I don’t recall ever being questioned about them, but your tiny snapshot is more than sufficient evidence. This won’t likely cause you a lot of problems in the long run. You can, however, produce your own horticultural oil (also known as “dormant oil”) to use as a wintertime treatment. In late May, as the new leaves are developing, you might also use a soil drench of the systemic pesticide imidacloprid. As the old leaves fall from late April to June, rake them up and throw them away. From one generation to the next, the scales are still present on them.
Hello Neil Are there any particular kinds of tree leaves that we shouldn’t compost? The most of the trees in our yard are elms, but I’ve gathered up to 20 bags from nearby neighbors and am prepared to grind them up and add them to our compost.
Excellent work! That saves landfill space and is a great method to build up organic matter for your own garden. Some people will claim that some species (such as oaks, pecan, walnut, and cedar) produce oils that are bad for plant growth, but I think that claim is much exaggerated. In reality, a significant portion of our landscape is found beneath eastern redcedars, and oaks and pecans make up the majority of the compost we generate at home (growing in years of cast needles). The key is to use these things sparingly and to wait until they have decomposed before planting in them. The oak and pecan leaves will blend beautifully with your elm leaves. All of them should be crushed to hasten disintegration, and 1 inch of mature compost or topsoil should be added to add the microorganisms that will kickstart the process.
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.
TEMPERATURE
The USDA hardiness zones 7 to 10 are suitable for Tradescantia pallida, according to the University of Wisconsin.
People that keep their Purple Hearts outdoors must contend with the threat of unexpected frosts, and they typically move their plants indoors during the winter.
Keep in mind that allowing the temperature to go below 59°F (15°C) may slow the plant’s growth and could even be harmful if it is left exposed for an extended period of time.
the Purple Heart Plant’s striking purple leaves. The leaf blade is purple on both the adaxial and abaxial sides.
HUMIDITY
If the air in your home is unusually dry, you might want to think about buying a humidifier.
Another option is to hang your Purple Heart in the kitchen or bathroom.
The succulent purple heart is it?
Sunlight is necessary for the foliage to turn a beautiful purple color. The succulent purple heart is it? Purple heart is regarded as a succulent because of its large, fleshy leaves that hold 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.