Required fields are marked *. After several weeks, water your plants according to the weather. They suck nutrients out of plants, which sometimes results in curled or wilted leaves. Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them. It is often used as a houseplant in interiorscapes. purple spiderwort 'Purpurea' is a trailing evergreen perennial to 20cm in height, the purple stems with narrowly elliptic, purplish glaucous green leaves 8-15cm in length, bright purple beneath, and terminal bright pink, 3-petalled flowers 2-3cm in width Synonyms Tradescantia 'Purple Sabre' Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' A cutting measuring 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) roots the best. She is a Certified Permaculture Designer, holds a Certificate in Native Plant Studies from the University of North Carolina Botanical Gardens, a Landscape for Life certificate through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. If you live in an area with temperatures that reach below 40F, then bring plants indoors to prevent cold damage. Caring for the purple queen plant is very easy, although it needs careful handling. Keep it somewhere warm and bright for 1-2 weeks. While adaptable to a range of temperatures, frost can cause permanent damage to plants. Mature Spread 12 - 24 Inches. They will adapt to light conditions ranging from full sun to medium light. Here is how to propagate the purple heart plant through stem cuttings: If growing the purple heart plant as a houseplant, repotting might be necessary if the roots extend to the edge of its current container. Once they grow, you need to pinch the tips of the stems to encourage blooming and the spreading of bushes. Whichever the case, the purple is always predominant color, which is why it's called the purple queen. Avoiding wetting the whole plant is that moist foliage brings diseases and mold that evens or damages the plant. It has lovely purple leaves that are long and oval. The purple queen plant is a famous beautiful evergreen perennial with long trailing stems and pointed purple leaves. Plants with purple hearts have several uses. You might also try simply wiping them away with a damp paper towel. If yours isnt listed, please add it to the comments section below. For me, that means shifting to watering every ten days instead of every week. Purple queen plants have a long, beautiful stem that grows longer as time goes by. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. First, Purple Heart is a cultivated variety of T. pallida, a species native to Mexico. The purple queen plant is a species of spiderwort (a genus of new world plants) and looks like T. Zebrina. Solving this problem is easy because all you need to do is water the plant to increase humidity. In this post, Ill show you all you need to know in order to keep them thriving. Many years later, having returned from my life abroad, Ive finally decided to start cultivating an indoor jungle again. You can trim periodically as needed. However, for best colour development, grow your purple queen plant in full sun. If you have a worm compost bin of your own, you can use some of the castings to make a fertilizer tea for your wandering dude. When grown as houseplants, that spreading growth habit translates into long, trailing vines. it's a very low maintenance plant and easy to grow.. When keeping houseplants, its important to start with a healthy specimen. Avoid specimens with yellow leaves or large quantities of brown leaves a few brown leaves are to be expected. Like aphids and mealybugs, scale insects can also damage your inch plants by sucking away valuable nutrients. These delicate blooms can be pink, white, blue, or purple, depending on the species or cultivar. They are great for hanging pots or as groundcovers and can add a lush texture and a tropical atmosphere to any garden, be it indoor or outdoor. The plant offers blade-shaped leaves in a standout shade of gleaming deep purple that meander around companions in containers, garden beds, and window boxes, adding eye-catching contrast. Im sure you will feel so embarrassed and discouraged. When it starts drying out too quickly between waterings, you may want to repot. It is widely commercialized as a house plant and for outdoor gardens. It can also be helpful to lift your inch plants pot to check it for dryness. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea' is commonly called purple secretia, purple-heart, [2] or purple queen. You can amend outdoor beds with peat moss or compost to increase organic matter, or add sand to help with drainage. The plant sap of wandering jew is irritating to the skin and it can cause bowel irritations as well, if it is consumed by your cat. If you notice the color fading or legginess, supplement with a grow light. Set them on a pebble tray or run a small humidifier nearby to increase the humidity in your home. If the brown is appearing in the middle of the plant, its likely from aging. Another common name, inch plant, refers to the spacing between leaves. [3] It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. Purple queen plants can survive winter in zones 8-10. In this purple heart plant care guide youll learn what it takes to keep the foliage thriving and beautiful. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. GARDENER'S PATH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. This striking appearance makes it perfect for everyday use as an ornamental plant in gardens and along borders or driveways. It is a fun plant to use in combination recipes adding a unique dimension to mixed containers. Maintenance Category: Easy. Water when the top one to two inches of soil are dry. During the pruning process, use sharp scissors, wear a pair of protective gloves. Tradescantia Purpurea loves to get a little sun but it needs some shade during hot summer days, especially at noon. Ensure you dont come into direct contact with the plants because they can be toxic when consumed. Moreover, during the summer months, it produces small purple flowers. Feed the newly rooted plant every month, using a water-soluble fertilizer. After developing some roots, use the procedure discussed above to grow your plants and plant your purple queen plant. Asking for a friend). Its also proven to survive freezes and comes back strong in the Spring! You can also subscribe without commenting. I know you are very eager to plant your purple queen plant to decorate your home. The purple heart plant has a quick growth rate, so pruning often will prevent the plant from getting too spindly or leggy. Another alternate name for these species is wandering Willie. Or you can do as the Aussies do and call yours wandering Trad.. Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort (a genus of New World plants) similar to T. fluminensis and T. zebrina. I have a Tradescantia pallida and it appears to be shedding for lack of a better word. These are general tips that work for most Tradescantia species grown as houseplants, but always be sure to double check specific growing information for your chosen species as there may be slight differences in requirements. You cant resist admiring them once you come across them planted either in hanging baskets or home gardens. Because of his taunting, the story goes, this man was doomed to wander the earth until the second coming of Jesus. Use these tips to keep yours thriving year after year. Be sure to check individual cultivars for information about recommended growing zones. Control them by hand picking, or spreading a diatomaceous earth barrier around the base. Additionally, leaves turn brown when overexposed to sunlight. apart. As for pets, the ASPCA does not provide safety information for all species of Tradescantia, but lists T. fluminensis as toxic to dogs and cats. But heres the skinny; you want to grow some purple queen plants at your home, but you have absolutely no experience with them. Fashion fades, only style remains the same. But the roots can put out new growth when it warms up in the spring as long as the ground doesnt freeze. Once established, Tradescantia pallida is fairly drought tolerant, but wont do well in extended periods of dryness. Tradescantia Zebrina: Spiderwort Inchplant Zebrina pendula Is Wandering Jew Toxic for Cats? Drainage is essential for the purple heart, but these plants are relatively adaptable to soil pH, ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Kooc Media Ltd Company No.05695741 International House, 61 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HZ UK, Hours MondayFriday: 9:00AM5:00PM Saturday & Sunday: 11:00AM3:00PM. It gets its common name from the delicate heart-shaped blossoms. An inexpensive moisture gauge will help you get it just right. You dont need to water the plant because the plastic will keep all the moisture in. It has also been given the nickname Purple Spiderlily, which comes from its plant genus Spiderwort - also known as Tradescantia. Brown leaf tips, on the other hand, indicate that the plant isnt getting enough humidity. Purple hearts are very easy to propagate with a stem cutting taken from any part of the plant. Also known as T. pallida Purpurea, it is sometimes taxonomically classified as Setcreasea purpurea. Were not using that outdated common name anymore because it comes with a lot of negative baggage. Kristina Hicks-Hamblin lives on a dryland permaculture homestead in the high desert of Utah. A purple plant loves sunny areas. If your plants colour changes to brown, it is likely because there isnt enough moisture. For this reason, Purpleheart plants are considered invasive in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Insignificant 3-petaled deep pink flowers last for only a day but bloom continuously on the stiff stems above the foliage for several weeks in spring. I'm an author and expert gardener who loves growing ALL of the plants. Similar to yellow leaves, brown leaves are systematic of old age in plants. I loved being surrounded by all that lush greenery when I was indoors. Tradescantia houseplants are tender perennials, and as such, they do well when kept at average household temperatures that is to say, ideally around 70F, or at least somewhere in the range of 50 to 80F. When ordering spiderworts online during winter, make sure they are sent with a heat pack (or two) to avoid chill damage during transport. If you don't trim the plant back, it will have a more trailing habit. In order to identify this plant, you should look for its dark purple stems and leaves. There are two different stories about how this father and son team became associated with the genus that bears their name. Prolonged exposure to freezing weather will eventually kill the plant however, roots and all. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy to prevent the plant from rotting. Weekly waterings should suffice for established plants, but more during the blooming season or periods of extreme heat. You can wear gloves to prevent this. So, do not use excess fertilizer to avoid damaging your plants. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Proven Accents 'Purple Queen' - Purple Spiderwort - Tradescantia pallida. This striking appearance makes it perfect for everyday use as an ornamental plant in gardens and along borders or driveways. Thanks to its downward trailing stem it stands out the most when used in rock gardens, border fronts, and wall plantings. The easiest and most accessible way to propagate wandering dudes is via cuttings. When planted outdoors, the purple heart plant grows best with regular watering and a balance of full sun and light shade despite being relatively drought-tolerant. For a fuller-looking specimen, pinching or cutting back vines will help to encourage bushier growth. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When grown outdoors, the purple heart plant will die back in the winter when temperatures reach below 40F, but the roots stay alive. However, before you decide to take advantage of any species of spiderwort for its ground covering properties, do be forewarned that they can be quite invasive. The genus Tradescantia was named by the father of taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus, to honor John Tradescant the Elder and his son, John Tradescant the Younger. I think youll agree with me that this is not a good association to bestow this houseplant with, or a stereotype we want to perpetuate in any way. How do you do this? When the top few inches of soil are dry, water deeply to encourage hardier roots, but avoid making it sodden. When roots begin to show out of the drainage holes, its time to size up. Some species are variegated, while others are solid green or solid purple in color. Apply slow-release granules twice during the spring and summer, or up to once a month with liquid options. The good news is, theres a clever replacement nickname for this plant, the very laid-back sounding wandering dude. I think this new nickname is fitting for such an easygoing houseplant. Space them at least two feet apart. Now that you have the ideal place in mind to grow a purple heart plant, lets talk about their care. The Tradescantia genus is made up of 75 species, many of which have a wandering or vining growth habit. Its best to do it in the spring before flowering. Inconsistent watering (usually too much), lack of sunlight, or cold temperatures are all common causes. Cut the stem just below a segment node. Giving them enough light indoors can be a challenge, even in a sunny window. Rodales Successful Organic Gardening: Houseplants and Container Gardens. Now she owns more than 100 succulents and cacti of different colors, shapes, and sizes. According to Cheryl Long, author of Rodales Successful Organic Gardening: Houseplants and Container Gardens, available on Amazon, some Tradescantia species, such as T. zebrina, prefer cool nights. There are many other gorgeous cultivars to discover, so be sure to read our article on some of the most intriguing varieties of spiderwort houseplants. Its got some new healthy looking growth. I know Im enjoying the masses of lovely vegetation this plant provides me, and the easy opportunities to create even more houseplants. My spiderworts grew faster in full sun, but they also seem to be tolerating their current northeast exposure without any signs of stress. However, dont be discouraged because, in this article, you will learn how to grow purple queen plants effectively and how to care for them. My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening for most of my life. You may want to relegate them to houseplant status where you can make sure they dont get out of hand. Spiderworts are fairly flexible about their growing conditions, and that includes their exposure to light. Hello Mariah! In this reference book, authors Michael E. Peterson, DVM, and Patricia A Talcott, DVM, categorize Tradescantia species as possible pet-friendly alternatives, conveying that no incriminating data against these species has been found. I still have this growing in a pot on my kitchen table!! Immediately you plant your purple queen plant, start watering it immediately. Get to know how heavy the plant feels when it needs to be watered this will prevent you from having to stick your finger into the plants soil every time you check it. In colder regions theyre often grown in containers and wintered indoors, or kept exclusively as houseplants. The foliage wont survive very long in temperatures colder than 40F. - yes, it does; and mostly during summer. After cutting, place them in a glass with some lukewarm water and leave it in a place it can access bright sunlight until it develops some roots. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. The plant grows relatively low and reaches only a maximum of 12 inches upon maturity. When you notice that your plants leaves are turning green, know that your plant isnt getting enough sunlight. Its best to take your cutting from a healthy mature plant using a clean, sharp knife or a pair of scissors. This lovely evergreen plant is a perennial mostly recognized by its pointed and elongated leaves. In addition to the purple foliage, it also produces small pink flowers. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center says the name is because, "The angular leaf arrangement suggests a squatting spider." . If you ask me does it flower? Plants growing in partial shade will appear more green than purple. To repot your spiderwort, choose a pot that is only one to two inches larger than the current pot, and make sure it has drainage holes. Wrap your pot in a clear plastic bag that you can secure with an elastic rubber and place the pot in a bright place, away from direct sunlight. Nurturing purple heart plants as a houseplant is also a great option if you want to avoid them dying over the winter. Shady areas make the plant appear greener in colour instead of purple. Find more tips on identifying and controlling mealybugs here. You can use the freshly removed tips to propagate the plant, so dont throw them away. In the landscape, the plant has an upright, branching . Extreme heat and direct sun can scorch its leaves. 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