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.
To propagate a purple heart plant, where do you cut it?
Clean scissors should be used to trim a 2- to 4-inch section from the growing tip of your purple heart plant. Anytime during the growth season, cut in the morning or evening to escape the heat of the day. Stems bearing flowers or flower buds should be avoided. A node, which is a little bulge at the junction of a leaf and a stem, should be cut through the stem 1/4 to 1/2 inch below. Purple heart vines are straightforward to spot since they frequently zigzag from node to node. From here, the roots will spread out.
How long do purple heart cuttings take to take root?
Bury the purple heart cutting stem in the moist medium approximately one inch deep. Place the pot in bright light, away from the sun, on a warm windowsill. In four weeks, the cuttings should root.
Purple hearts – can they grow in water?
In the fall, take seven 3-inch cuttings from the tops of your purple heart plant that is growing outside. In a juice glass with 1 inch of water added, insert the cuttings after removing the lowest leaves. Place the glass on a sunny ledge away from direct sunlight, and until the cuttings root, keep the water level at one-third their height. In water, purple heart plant propagation typically takes place in two weeks.
Can a chopped purple heart grow back?
By using stem cuttings, purple heart can be easily propagated. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut a portion of healthy plant that is 3 to 6 inches long. There must be at least one growing node on the item.
Do purple hearts require direct sunlight?
When grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 711, the colorful purple heart plant is an evergreen perennial with a year-round growing season. In northern locations, it will wither away during the winter months due to the freezing weather, but the roots will survive, and new purple stems will emerge in the early spring. In warm areas, blooming occurs from late spring to early October.
Plant purple hearts where there is direct sunlight to promote vibrant purple foliage. Even in partial shade, the plant will continue to develop, but since there won’t be as much light, it will appear greener with less purple hints. When cultivating the purple heart as a container plant indoors or outdoors, pick a container with drainage holes and use all-purpose potting soil.
Can cutting boards be made from purple heart wood?
To spruce up your kitchen cooking, search for a distinctive cutting board. then stop your search. White hard maple and the sophisticated purpleheart wood are used to make this board.
rewaxed with a beeswax/mineral oil mixture at the time of shipment after being finished with many coats of mineral oil.
All of our cutting boards are handmade and showcase our genuine passion for woodworking. We either choose the highest grade woods from locally available materials or from recycled hardwood scraps. Then, we combine several types of wood in a laminate to create a pattern that will suit everyone. They are then sealed and made ready for usage after being sanded to a silky smooth finish.
This cutting board weighs around three pounds and has dimensions of 18 x 11 x 3/4. any size is possible to personalize!
Please take note that while exact color and grain will somewhat vary from board to board, they will closely match the image and description.
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.
The purple heart plant can be grown indoors.
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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.
How are purple hearts divided?
Spreading as a groundcover, purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) has dark purple leaves. Throughout the summer, the plant’s tiny pink flowers bloom continuously, although they only open in the morning. The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies purple heart as hardy in zones 8 through 11, where a little frost may set back some foliage but infrequently kills the entire plant. Purple heart should be moved and transplanted in the fall after the season’s flowering is through or in late winter before growth begins again.
A sandy, well-drained garden bed should have 2 inches of compost spread over it. The top 6 to 8 inches of soil should then be mixed with the compost. Purple heart can take minor shadow if reduced blooming is not a problem. For best flowering, prepare the bed in a spot that receives full, all-day sunlight.
With a trowel, delve into the main mass of roots surrounding the base of the purple heart plant. With as few roots severed as possible, remove the plant out of the earth by sliding the trowel beneath the root ball. Even when the main plant is plucked, any leftover roots in the ground can reappear.
If desired, divide the purple heart into two plants by using the trowel blade to cut the root ball in half. Either transplant both plants to the new location, or leave one plant in the original bed and move the other division.
To the same depth as the root ball, dig a hole in the new bed. The purple heart should be inserted into the hole at the same depth at which it was growing earlier, with the top of the root ball resting just below the soil’s surface. Place the plants 12 inches apart from one another on all sides.
Immediately after transplanting, water the purple heart to wet the soil to a 6-inch depth. To retain moisture and safeguard the roots as they regrow, cover the bed with a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch.
How should a purple heart plant be winterized?
Hello Neil What is this extremely gorgeous groundcover that I recently seen at a mall? It isn’t simply a yearly, is it?
Purpleheart, then (Setcreasea pallida). Its relatives include the wandering Jews hanging basket plants from the tropics. In most winters, purpleheart can withstand the cold, but it does with the first freeze, when it dies down to the ground. As the fall temperature cools, its electrifying, mid-lavender/purple color just gets stronger. It can withstand heat and drought pretty well. lovely plant
Yes. For several months, they reliably bloom, but they do best in the heat. Early to mid-fall sees a decline in their bloom production as a result of the lowering temperatures. When that happens, it’s time to remove them and put in pansies or other winter-appropriate flowers.
Hello Neil My banana trees expanded by more than 6 feet this year, reaching a height of more than 12 feet. Do you have any idea why they might have become that tall?
Nitrogen and water are the two factors that will contribute most to the vigorous growth of plants, including bananas. It appears that this year, you truly catered to their demands.
Hello Neil I have a sizable Philodendron split-leaf (not the climbing type). It’s been in my possession for a while, but I’m wondering if I may bring it inside for the winter. Approximately 6 feet wide. Is it trimmable?
No. Starting to remove healthy leaves will seriously set it back, and when it tries to grow back the following spring, it will be lanky and ugly. A big one that is about 30 years old is mine. For the winter, I roll it into my greenhouse on a plant dolly. The plant is then pulled up into a tight vase form using soft rope after I have inserted three rather large (1-inch) stakes into the container. For the winter, you might be able to accomplish something similar (hopefully more appealing). Alternately, mount it on casters and move it into and out of the garage in response to the weather. In the case of Philodendron selloum, a light frost (to 31 or 32 degrees) won’t harm the plant. I choose not to take that chance, though. Good fortune.
Hello Neil Does the soil produce powdery mildew? My zinnias, crape myrtles, and other plants are bothered by it. My lawn has a lot of toadstools, too.
Almost everywhere you look in gardens and landscapes in Texas, there is powdery mildew. Although it would be hard to completely remove all of the waste from your environment, it overwinter on plant detritus on the soil surface. When possible, choose resistant kinds, and in the nights, keep the plant’s foliage dry. Apply a labeled fungicide if powdery mildew and other illnesses continue to appear. For the record, Dr. Don Egolf of the United States National Arboretum chose the crape myrtle types with Native American Indian tribal names (Muskogee, Tuscarora, Natchez, etc.) primarily because of their resistance to this prevalent fungus. Zinnias of more recent varieties are also resistant. Consult a Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional for advice.
Hello Neil Ever notice how the cedar and elm bark is rubbed and then peeled in strings? Two branches have presumably died as a result of bark loss. Up in the tree, there appear to be significant sections where the bark has been removed. What might have caused damage of that magnitude?
It sounds like damage from squirrels. They are known for dying limbs and pealing off the bark, most notably in pecan and live oak trees, though other species are also affected. In the summer, you’ll notice 3-foot regions high up in pecan and live oak trees when all of the leaves abruptly turn brown. The bark has been peeled away when you look closely, generally with binoculars, as the rodents honed their teeth. Even if some larger beetles will score some bark insignificantly, they are not my top suspicions. I advise hiring a qualified arborist to assess the situation on the spot.
Hello Neil How much chilly weather can a cape honeysuckle withstand? Do they have to spend the winter indoors?
Tecomaria capensis, or cape honeysuckle, can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees. It might endure temperatures a little lower if it is mulched, covered, or in a protected area. If not, either leave it in a pot and move it into a greenhouse or sunroom, or if it will be exposed to colder weather, replace it every spring.
Hello Neil How likely is it that I’ll be able to successfully overwinter a few wax begonia plants indoors? I would hate to see all 25 of them freeze because I have them in patio pots.
If you have extremely bright light indoors, ideally direct sunlight, your plants should be alright. Naturally, a greenhouse would be ideal. Cut them back by 30 to 50% to encourage new growth. If you want to start with new, smaller plants, you can use the trimmings as cuttings.