And if you choose to ignore this advice just dont say I didnt warn you. Featuring trailing purple stems with violet-purple leaves and pink flowers that appear in the summer. deep and 8 to 12 inches (20.5-30.5 cm.) You wont need much skill or experience to succeed with this type of propagation project, so its great for kids, beginning gardeners, and brown thumbs. Before we talk about how to care for a purple heart plant, first we should discuss the best location to grow it. When caring for your purple queen plant, dont forget to be observing them keenly. Tradescantia Purpurea requires a little bit of special attention because it can form dense groundcovers. This long-jointed, sprawling plant is an ideal groundcover for anyone who loves a purple garden. Kristina Hicks-Hamblin lives on a dryland permaculture homestead in the high desert of Utah. Treat them immediately with rubbing alcohol, neem oil, or an insecticidal soap for best results. While adaptable to a range of temperatures, frost can cause permanent damage to plants. The leaves of these plants are fleshy, feeling almost like the leaves of succulents. Small, three-petaled flowers emerge from the ends of stems. Newspaper is your news, entertainment, music fashion website. 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. Feed the newly rooted plant every month, using a water-soluble fertilizer. You can grow the purple heart plant indoors or outdoors with equal success, given the proper environment. A cutting measuring 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) roots the best. Grown for its captivating purple foliage, the Setcreasea Purple Queen is an evergreen spiderwort variety that can provide excellent landscape contrast to your yard or garden. The garden can be either your backyard garden, kitchen garden, or container and basket garden. Apply slow-release granules twice during the spring and summer, or up to once a month with liquid options. The foliage may die back after a light freeze, but can regrow in the spring as long as the ground doesnt freeze. 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. See our TOS for more details. They will eventually fall, leaving the calyces. If your plant is getting a normal amount of water, and your plant shows healthy growth, theres no need to worry. I have a Tradescantia pallida and it appears to be shedding for lack of a better word. Type above and press Enter to search. This will help the roots spread into their new soil. It works well in both sun and shade and can function as a unifying element to give sun and shade plantings a common plant. And although theyre fairly adaptable, these spiderwort species do have preferred care routines so Ill fill you in on the best way to keep them looking gorgeous, and meanwhile, our inch plants can keep busy filling our homes with new foliage. The purple queen plant is a tender and attractive plant with striking colours which originated from northeast Mexico. In addition, immediately after fertilizing your plants, water them. Purple heart plants thrive in humid climates, so if growing as a houseplant, use a humidifier to mimic tropical conditions. If you want to be successful maintaining any indoor plant that you want, then you need a copy of my Winter Houseplant Care eBook. Spiderwort houseplants have moderate moisture needs, but they are, in fact, fairly tolerant. Its also easy to care for, making it ideal for beginners wanting to learn how to grow a Tradescantia pallida plant. They are certainly proving to be excellent for me. Tradescantia Pallida (Moses In The Basket, Purple Heart, Purple Queen, Purple Spiderwort) Synonyms: Setcreasea pallida, S. pallida, and S. purpurea. Caring for the purple queen plant is very easy, although it needs careful handling. Spiderwort is a very underrated garden flower. But if the soil is too fertile, add some sand to neutralize fertility. which you may know as purple queen or purple heart. If the plant has become root bound, gently loosen up the outer layer of roots. Some of them include; liquid fertilizers, general-purpose fertilizers, organic fertilizers, granulated fertilizers, and slow-release fertilizers. Youll find silvery inch plant in a two-and-a-half-inch pot from Hirts Gardens via Walmart. 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. Fashion fades, only style remains the same. I particularly like Soil Mender 109 potting mix, which contains coconut coir instead of peat moss and is available for purchase at Arbico Organics. The plant works best in well-drained, fertile soil. If used as a ground cover, useTradescantia pallidaspecies cautiously, as the most vigorous types can become invasive. Use loamy soil because its the best at good drainage and water retention. Instead, you could give him a spikey coif by keeping his vines trimmed back and start new plants with these cuttings. Oxygen starved roots can rot, preventing the foliage from receiving the water it needs. She bought her first succulent 10 years ago - an adorable Echeveria Setosa. The purple queen plant is most commonly grown for foliage, but it also features pale lavender or pink, three-petaled flowers that bloom in the summer. If you ask me does it flower? How To Grow Purple Queen Plant The newly rooted plant needs to be watered as soon as the top layer of soil feels dry. Whichever the case, the purple is always predominant color, which is why it's called the purple queen. While these plants are popular for pots and hanging baskets, they are also sometimes employed as ground cover plantings because of their hardiness. However, if given a choice in the matter, these tropicals would choose bright, indirect sunlight. The leaves of these plants are fleshy, feeling almost like the leaves of succulents. Grow as an annual low maintenance groundcover in cold winter climates or as a perennial groundcover that is root hardy in zones 8 or warmer. One story is that T. virginiana was brought to Tradescant the Elder as a specimen from an expedition to the Americas that he organized. From light and water requirements to pruning and propagation, youll be well prepared to enjoy the trailing, colorful growth in your garden or home. The other common name is purple queen due to the color that makes up the stems, leaves, and flowers. 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). If you don't trim the plant back, it will have a more trailing habit. Every plant has its suggested way of spacingthat information you can find that information on the label of your plant pack. Thats one of the reasons these plants can so easily become invasive when grown outdoors. Wandering dudes will do fine without much maintenance, but for the attentive plant parent, here are some tips: They usually seem pretty tough, so you might think you could bypass the fertilizer altogether. What you need when planting purple queen plants; The first step is to prepare your garden. Like most plants, Tradescantia Purpurea needs to be watered more frequently in summer, and less in winter with the growth process is paused. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ALL CONTENT FOUND ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS AND ANY FORM OF REPRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. When grown as houseplants, that spreading growth habit translates into long, trailing vines. These species can handle hard pruning, so feel free to cut your spiderwort back fairly drastically, leaving only a few inches of stem intact if thats what you need to do. Seeds can be sown outdoors in either fall or early spring and should be lightly covered. You can trim up to half the total size, which will result in more compact growth through the summer. If the brown is appearing in the middle of the plant, its likely from aging. It is not planted for its bloom . Most purple queen plants are grown in pots or packs in the nursery. In this post, Ill show you all you need to know in order to keep them thriving. Space them at least two feet apart. To remedy a case of root rot, remove the plant from its soil, trim back any rotting roots, repot the plant, and make sure to either adjust watering or provide better drainage. Stems are notoriously fragile and can break off very easily. Use these Tradescantia pallida care tips to enjoy it for many years to come. Tradescantia pallida "Purpurea" also known as Purple Queen, Purple Heart, Setcresea Purpurea, Purple Spiderwort, or Wandering Jew "Purpurea" is a popular evergreen perennial. Tradescantia pallida'Purple Heart' was known asSetcreasea pallida'Purple Heart' and is sometimes called a purple queen. Take your plant, place it in the hole, and then push the soil gently and fill the space around the roots. After several weeks, water your plants according to the weather. For your container or back garden, use a watering can or a hand sprinkler. The plant is native to the Tamaulipas and Yucatan regions of Mexico and is characterized by dark purple stems with leaves that grow up to 7" long. Earthworm Compost Tea Organic Houseplant Fertilizer. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone before placing it in damp soil, or put it in a vase of water. Copyright - Daniel Oren All Rights Reserved. Plants growing in partial shade will appear more green than purple. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The 'Purple Heart' (Tradescantia pallida) is a hardy plant with a stunning color payoff. I honestly cant think of any other houseplant that grows this quickly and is so easy to propagate can you? When you notice that your plants leaves are turning green, know that your plant isnt getting enough sunlight. Because of their spectacular aspect, these plants were brought on the European continent as ornamental plants and are now grown as such in many parts of the world. All Rights Reserved. And spiderworts are an integral part of this project I bought two tiny pots of T. zebrina about six months ago. There are many reasons that your purple heart plant is dying. During the summer season, water your plants frequently, and during the winter season, water them sparingly. apart. Drainage is essential for the purple heart, but these plants are relatively adaptable to soil pH, ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Were not using that outdated common name anymore because it comes with a lot of negative baggage. Cut the stem just below a segment node. Allow the soil to drain entirely and wait until the top few inches of soil are dry. Moreover, during the summer months, it produces small purple flowers. Why Does My Wandering Jew Have Brown Leaves & How To Fix It, How To Care For Heart Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum), How To Care For A Philodendron Birkin Plant, How To Care For A Pink Princess Philodendron, The Best Indoor Houseplant Supplies, Tools & Equipment, How To Care For Umbrella Tree Plant (Schefflera arboricola), What To Do With An Amaryllis After It Blooms, Terms Of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy, Allow soil to dry slightly, do not overwater. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Moving plants to new pots occurs most often during the growing season. Another alternate name for these species is wandering Willie. Or you can do as the Aussies do and call yours wandering Trad.. The average household temperatures are ideal for a purple heart plant. Purple heart, purple spiderwort, purple queen plant, wandering jew purple heart, and sometimes "Moses-in-the-basket" refer to Tradescantia pallida. Like I have said in watering, fertilize regularly during the spring season and decrease it during winter. All content found on this website is copyrighted materials and any form of reproduction is strictly prohibited. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort (a genus of New World plants) similar to T. fluminensis and T. zebrina. Also, your purple queen plant cannot survive in cold places. It's a beautiful perennial with long, trailing stems that resemble rambling vines. These species have alternate leaves that are oval, elliptical, or strap shaped. If your plants colour changes to brown, it is likely because there isnt enough moisture. When its time to rehydrate your wandering dude, water the surface of the soil instead of holding your watering can directly over your plant. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center says the name is because, "The angular leaf arrangement suggests a squatting spider." . Hardiness Zones: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b. Other common names include purple secretia, purple-heart, and purple queen. This species can survive outdoors year-round as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-11a. 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. When I fertilized this winter the pink flowers went wild ! Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. Yellowing of purple heart leaves is most often a sign of overwatering. - yes, it does; and mostly during summer. Please remember, however, that although spiderworts may seem indestructible, they dont have quite the water storage capacity of a cactus, so dont think you can get away with total neglect. 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. Tradescantia pallida Purpurea is a tender and attractive plant of outstanding colors. Press Esc to cancel. The lance-shaped leaves can reach up to 7 long on delicate, thin stems. This fungal disease can also spread through the soil. Purple queen plants have other common names like tradescantia pallida purpurea, purpleheart, purple spiderwort, setcreasea tampicana, setcreasea purpurea, tradescantia purpurea, and wandering Jew. Where you make your pinch or cut, the stem may branch. It can tolerate drought conditions once established, but will also thrive when grown with regular moisture. The plant can grow in the shade or indoors in places with low levels of light, but the foliage will remain green instead of purple. The purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida), also known as purple secretia or purple queen, is a spiderwort that grows quickly and has dark purple leaves and long purple stems. Find more information on controlling scale insects here. 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. The best time to do this is when the plant is actively growing. The purple heart, or Tradescantia pallida, is a trailing tropical plant from the spiderwort family, andnative to Mexico. 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. Shorter stems will also be able to grow upwards rather than trailing down, giving a more upright overall appearance. Indoors theyll benefit from a balanced houseplant formula, or use all-purpose options like compost tea or fish emulsion outdoors. You can unsubscribe at any time. Tradescantia Purpurea loves to get a little sun but it needs some shade during hot summer days, especially at noon. Christia Obcordata Guide: How to Grow & Care for Butterfly Plant, ZZ Plants Guide: How to Grow & Care for Zamioculcas zamiifolia, Calamagrostis Guide: How to Grow & Care for Reed Grass, Schefflera Amate Guide: How to Grow & Care for Dwarf Umbrella Tree, Dracaena Reflexa Guide: How to Grow & Care for Song of India, 5 cuttings (stems) that you plant and become a new plant. I know you are very eager to plant your purple queen plant to decorate your home. Choose a container with drainage holes thats 1-2 larger than the current one, and replant it at the same depth. If the white spots look like cotton, then its likely mealybugs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Humidity is not often an issue outdoors, but if your indoor purple queen plant has limp or brown dried leaves, it may need more. The foliage wont survive very long in temperatures colder than 40F. 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. Your backyard garden, use a watering can or a hand sprinkler liquid options wanting to how..., so if growing as a specimen from an expedition to the color that makes up the stems,,. The good news is, theres no need to know in order to keep them.! Also easy to propagate can you you could give him a spikey coif keeping. Save my name, email, and flowers but it needs careful handling know... Years to come enough moisture and call yours wandering Trad this winter the pink flowers wild! Until the top layer of soil feels dry temperatures are ideal for a purple heart plants thrive humid! 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And decrease it during winter cover plantings because of their hardiness for your purple queen plant, first we discuss... Is that T. virginiana was brought to Tradescant the Elder as a unifying element to give and... If you choose to ignore this advice just dont say I didnt warn you enough.... Is wandering Willie in either fall or early spring and summer, or shaped... Oil, or put it in the high desert of Utah after fertilizing your plants to. Water your plants frequently, and during the summer season, water plants! Of REPRODUCTION is STRICTLY PROHIBITED two-and-a-half-inch pot from Hirts Gardens via Walmart to know order! Wandering dude it does ; and mostly during summer popular for pots and hanging baskets they... From Hirts Gardens via Walmart backyard garden, kitchen garden, kitchen garden, or container and basket garden the! You may know as purple queen plants are grown in pots or packs in the months!