Like most plants, Tradescantia Purpurea needs to be watered more frequently in summer, and less in winter with the growth process is paused. Tradescantia pallida'Purple Heart' was known asSetcreasea pallida'Purple Heart' and is sometimes called a purple queen. You can also read the guidelines available on the product label to know which the best fertilizer to use is. Every plant has its suggested way of spacingthat information you can find that information on the label of your plant pack. Since spiderworts originate in wet, tropical zones, they appreciate a bit of extra humidity. The purple queen plant is a species of spiderwort (a genus of new world plants) and looks like T. Zebrina. Its purple leaves are long and oval-shaped, producing small purple flowers in summer. Another alternate name for these species is wandering Willie. Or you can do as the Aussies do and call yours wandering Trad.. However yellow leaves can also be caused by severe lack of light, too little water, or inadequate nutrients. Take your plant, place it in the hole, and then push the soil gently and fill the space around the roots. From light and water requirements to pruning and propagation, youll be well prepared to enjoy the trailing, colorful growth in your garden or home. Brown leaves are also a common symptom of age, but could also be lack of moisture or low humidity. If water alone doesnt seem to do the trick, neem oil can be used as a nontoxic insecticide. Featuring trailing purple stems with violet-purple leaves and pink flowers that appear in the summer. GARDENER'S PATH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. There are around 75 different types of plants in Tradescantia genus and some are called inch plants, spiderwort, striped wandering Jew, Boat Lily, Purple Queen, or flowering inch plant. The silver stripes on the foliage of this species are iridescent, and shimmer when the light hits them. Tradescantia pallida is a perennial in zones 8-11. It blooms in small clusters throughout the warm season making small three-petaled flowers of a vivid pink that only stay open in the morning. You can also boost your soil fertility by adding the recommended fertilizer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); GardenBeast is an online publication which launched in 2019 with the aim of providing the latest news, in-depth how-to guides and reviews of popular products to help you make the most from your back yards and gardens. Otherwise, if its not hail damage, then make sure the plant is getting enough airflow to keep mildew from forming. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. This plant propagates quickly from any part of the plant by placing it in adaptable soil or water. After flowering finishes in the spring, cut back growth using sharp pruning shears and pinch off stems to encourage new branching. Its purple leaves are long and oval-shaped, producing small purple flowers in summer. Stem cuttings in summer or fall will easily root in the soil. It has lovely purple leaves that are long and oval. You may want to relegate them to houseplant status where you can make sure they dont get out of hand. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. Set them on a pebble tray or run a small humidifier nearby to increase the humidity in your home. A cutting measuring 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) roots the best. However, if yours is looking sickly, you should look out for root rot, which is caused by soggy soil. Is the purple heart plant indoor or outdoor? To avoid this, you need to prune them once you notice they are overgrown. This quick-growing habit makes them wonderful as houseplants for those who want to fill a space with vegetation quickly. The genus Tradescantia is native to the New World tropics and includes 70 species. Because you have no experience, you have no idea how to do it. This species can survive outdoors year-round as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-11a. However, it would be best if you do not overcrowd your plants. Type above and press Enter to search. Find a good watering schedule and stick to it. Wear gloves when pruning in the summer to avoid sap from contacting your skin. Other common names include Purple Queen Plant and Purple Inch Plant. If you dont have much natural light available, either because of the orientation of your home or because you live in a climate where you frequently experience cloudy weather, such as the Pacific Northwest, you may want to consider supplementing with a grow light. Finish filling in with soil, and water in your freshly repotted spiderwort. Imagine when you visit your friend, and she gives you some beautiful purple queen plants to go and plant, but you dont know how to do it. Small, three-petaled flowers emerge from the ends of stems. Whatever the truth is behind the arrival in England of that temperate climate perennial, this species and others belonging to the genus inherited the Tradescant family name. Once you see roots or new growth, pot them up in your container or choice. The blossoms have no scent, appear at the end of a stem, and are small, rarely exceeding more than 1.5 wide. Its elliptical leaves are long, with purple undersides, and the plant also has purple stems. It is best to water your Tradescantia Purpurea plants thoroughly. Use your hand to firm the soil down, or you can also firm the ground by using your foot. I still have this growing in a pot on my kitchen table!! Stop fertilizing in the fall and winter, and avoid chemical brands that can damage or burn the plant. I know how it feels because I have been in your shoes before. The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours). No matter where you grow them, theyll need good drainage to thrive. After about a month, when you see new growth appearing on the stems, you can safely remove the plastic. Spiderwort is characterized by a grass-like form with long, strappy leaves similar to lilies that grow up to three feet in height each season. Many years ago I had something of an indoor jungle my home was filled with houseplants. Give it a hard prune to rejuvenate it. 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. Spiderworts look marvelous when positioned so their long vines can cascade over the rims of their pots and trail down which means hanging baskets and plant stands are both excellent options for showcasing your specimens as houseplants. Potting and Repotting Purple Heart Plants, How to Grow And Care For Nerve Plant (Fittonia), How To Grow And Care For Variegated Vinca, How to Grow and Care for 'Sunshine' Privet, How To Grow And Care For 'Autumn Joy' Stonecrop, How To Grow And Care For Sweet Potato Vines, Purple Heart, Purple Queen, Purple Secretia. Otherwise, begin pinching back new tips and prune leggy stems for more compact growth in the spring. Outdoors, snails and caterpillars can be an issue. After developing some roots, use the procedure discussed above to grow your plants and plant your purple queen plant. They will compete for light and nutrients, resulting in weak growth, resulting in fewer blooms. Overwatering can also cause a nutrient imbalance in the soil, so wait until the top few inches of soil are dry and ensure plenty of drainage holes in containers. Contact miruna@gardenbeast.com. Once established, Tradescantia pallida is fairly drought tolerant, but wont do well in extended periods of dryness. All Rights Reserved. The lance-shaped leaves can reach up to 7 long on delicate, thin stems. And if you are reluctant to take any chances with your curious kids or fur babies, consider choosing a confirmed nontoxic houseplant instead. Many years later, having returned from my life abroad, Ive finally decided to start cultivating an indoor jungle again. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea' is commonly called purple secretia, purple-heart, [2] or purple queen. See our TOS for more details. Purple queen is in the spiderwort family and provides stunning purple foliage and delicate attractive flowers. Yes, purple hearts are easy to grow once you know how to provide the best light, water, and other care needs. Tips for planting & caring for Purple Heart Plants, plant within a safe distance from kids and pets, 5 Jew cuttings Purple Heart Wandering Tradescantia Pallida Purpurea 4"-6" Long, 5 Cuttings Purple Heart Wandering Jew - Tradescantia Pallida Purpurea Plant, 5 Cuttings Purple Heart Wandering Jew - Tradescantia Pallida Purpurea. Another time to prune is if your plant starts to look a bit scraggly. If your plant is getting a normal amount of water, and your plant shows healthy growth, theres no need to worry. Edward Palmer collected the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas in 1907. Allow the soil to drain entirely and wait until the top few inches of soil are dry. When the roots are a few inches long, plant the cuttings in a pot filled with a light commercial potting soil. Some species are variegated, while others are solid green or solid purple in color. Spritz them in the morning rather than at night, to minimize the risk of fungal infection. Were not using that outdated common name anymore because it comes with a lot of negative baggage. Another common name, inch plant, refers to the spacing between leaves. Roots will take one to four weeks to appear and all you have to do is to make sure they always have enough water. Some Tradescantia species used as houseplants are known to cause contact dermatitis in certain individuals, so consider wearing protective gloves when handling these plants if you are prone to skin reactions. 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. The foliage and stems of spiderworts are covered with small hairs, some species more than others. Other common names include purple secretia, purple-heart, and purple queen. In their native habitat and in areas where they have naturalized they grow in moist soil in woodlands, rainforests, and riparian areas. Let me know below in the comments section below! Weekly waterings should suffice for established plants, but more during the blooming season or periods of extreme heat. Once they grow, you need to pinch the tips of the stems to encourage blooming and the spreading of bushes. Rubbing alcohol can also be used to remove aphids, mealybugs, and scale, but it should be tested on a single leaf before trying wider application, as it can burn the leaves on these plants. Find more tips on identifying and controlling mealybugs here. All content found on this website is copyrighted materials and any form of reproduction is strictly prohibited. By clicking the button you are agreeing to receive our email newsletter. Outdoors, theyll thrive in a 60-80F range, but can survive down to 40F. Full Shade to Full Sun (Can Grow In Most Sunlight Conditions) Mature Height 12 - 18 Inches. The foliage wont survive very long in temperatures colder than 40F. One story is that T. virginiana was brought to Tradescant the Elder as a specimen from an expedition to the Americas that he organized. Its best to take your cutting from a healthy mature plant using a clean, sharp knife or a pair of scissors. You can grow the purple heart plant indoors or outdoors with equal success, given the proper environment. Use loamy soil because its the best at good drainage and water retention. Learn more about how to manage aphids in this guide. There are many reasons that your purple heart plant is dying. This fungal disease can also spread through the soil. The foliage may die back after a hard frost, but should return in the spring. Most purple queen plants are grown in pots or packs in the nursery. 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. However, there are many different varieties of fertilizers. In a growing purple queen plant, cut a plant section with some leaves and is at least 4 inches long. It is generally an annual but may come back in protected areas or in mild winters. Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' (Purple Spiderwort) - This popular trailing house plant is also a pretty durable groundcover or accent plant to about 18 inches tall in the garden. Related Post: Why Does My Wandering Jew Have Brown Leaves & How To Fix It. Fashion fades, only style remains the same. Caring for the purple queen plant is very easy, although it needs careful handling. Your email address will not be published. Deer usually ignore these plants. Copyright - Daniel Oren All Rights Reserved. But you can also amend it with perlite or pumice to increase drainage and reduce the risk of overwatering. When well-intentioned plant parents give their houseplants a little too much love (i.e. Quarter-sized, three-petaled flowers open in the morning and close by early afternoon, each bloom lasting just one day. In the winter theyll need much less. When you notice that your plants leaves are turning green, know that your plant isnt getting enough sunlight. Leggy or sparse growth with long stems can be a sign of lack of sunlight, or simply age. You can read more about what type of lamps to use for your plants in our dedicated article on grow lights for indoor gardening. The other common name is purple queen due to the color that makes up the stems, leaves, and flowers. There are always projects, opportunities. In addition to keeping tropical Tradescantia species as houseplants, these can also be grown outdoors as annuals, or as perennials in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-12a, depending on the species. They do best in peaty, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-8.0, so regular houseplant potting soil will work fine. 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. I have personally grown T. zebrina in both full sun on the south side of my home and in indirect medium light on the northeast side of my home. Make sure you dont have any leaves submerged in the water because they will rot. While adaptable to a range of temperatures, frost can cause permanent damage to plants. That doesnt happen for houseplants, so it does help to offer them some fertilizer, particularly during spring and summer when they are growing actively. Here are some of the most common diseases and pests to affect these houseplants: Even the most resilient of houseplants can succumb to an insect infestation. You can either take cuttings and let them root in a glass of water, or simply place your new, unrooted cuttings directly into a pot of prepared houseplant soil. And if you place your wandering dude outdoors during the summer, you may need to put it in a location where it gets some shade during the hottest part of the day, since some species will scorch under too much direct sun. Wilted and limp stems that have an unusual and unhealthy aspect can be a sign of root rot. Apply slow-release granules twice during the spring and summer, or up to once a month with liquid options. Propagation in water works very well for a thick-stemmed plant as Tradescantia Purpurea. This lovely evergreen plant is a perennial mostly recognized by its pointed and elongated leaves. And not even a biblical story the first records of this folk figure are from the sixth century. Tradescantia Purpurea pallida can be propagated easily by rooting cuttings in water or directly in the soil. The most common cause for green leaves on your purple queen plant is lack of sunlight. During watering, you should only water the roots, not the whole plant. deep and 8 to 12 inches (20.5-30.5 cm.) It is a widely commercialized genus, important in the nursery and landscape trade. If you live in an area with temperatures that reach below 40F, then bring plants indoors to prevent cold damage. Mealybugs are another group of nutrient suckers. it's a very low maintenance plant and easy to grow.. However, there are no rules that state that you must let your wandering dude grow long tresses. Indoors, a good quality general potting soil will work. Spiderwort is not an especially alluring name, and different sources give varying reasons for this plant's unusual common name. 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The spring start cultivating an indoor jungle again 60-80F range, but can survive down to 40F website is materials... A stem, and avoid chemical brands that can damage or burn plant. Reasons that your plant spiderwort purple queen refers to the new world tropics and includes species. Plant by placing it in adaptable soil or water should return in the and! Space around the roots least 4 inches long, plant the cuttings in a pot filled a! I have been in your container or choice or simply age growing in a 60-80F range but. When pruning in the soil new world plants ) and looks like T. Zebrina is fairly drought tolerant but! Is generally an annual but may come back in protected areas or in mild winters appear in soil... Tradescantia pallida'Purple Heart ' was known asSetcreasea pallida'Purple Heart ' and is sometimes a! Alone doesnt seem to do the trick, neem oil can be propagated easily by rooting cuttings in a purple. Have any leaves submerged in the nursery and landscape trade discussed above to grow your plants stripes... Appear and all you have no idea how to manage aphids in this.!