Deer usually ignore these plants. Find more tips on identifying and controlling mealybugs here. Its elliptical leaves are long, with purple undersides, and the plant also has purple stems. 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' Also, your purple queen plant cannot survive in cold places. Light Requirement: Part Shade to Shade. After flowering finishes in the spring, cut back growth using sharp pruning shears and pinch off stems to encourage new branching. Since spiderworts originate in wet, tropical zones, they appreciate a bit of extra humidity. Additionally, leaves turn brown when overexposed to sunlight. It also makes an interesting groundcover for rock gardens and spills beautifully over retaining walls. Check the soil regularly to ensure its not too dry, and use a humidifier or pebble tray indoors if needed. So that your spiderwort growing project doesnt end in disappointment, here are some ways to ensure you start with a healthy plant: Youll learn more about what signs of infection or infestation to look for on spiderworts in the section on managing pest and disease problems below. Make sure its receiving full sun, or intense indoor light for 8+ hours a day. In addition to the purple foliage, it also produces small pink flowers. Make sure you dont have any leaves submerged in the water because they will rot. 'Purple Queen' is well-known to southern gardeners where it is often grown as a low maintenance perennial groundcover in zones 8 and warmer. 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. Or if you do want to use them outdoors, keep them safely confined use them as members of your container garden. Spiderwort is not an especially alluring name, and different sources give varying reasons for this plant's unusual common name. If you decide to propagate the plant directly in the soil, fill a container with moistened potting mix and plant the cuttings after removing the lower leaves of the stem. And to make matters worse, the soil and rotting roots can provide the perfect conditions for bacteria and fungi to invade. If you fail to prune them, they will become leggy, shaggy and they will cover up your room in an inappropriate way. Plants growing in partial shade will appear more green than purple. Your email address will not be published. Only give them a drink when the top few inches of soil are dry. To keep your plants soil from becoming waterlogged, make sure the pots have good drainage, and only water your spiderworts when the top inch or two of their soil has dried out. Whether you decide to grow it in a small decorative container or a hanging basket letting the long stems cascade over it you will surely obtain a lovely decorative plant. In addition to T. virginiana, this genus includes many species that are native to the US, but those that are used as houseplants originate in tropical areas of Central and South America. Spiderwort is a very underrated garden flower. You can also boost your soil fertility by adding the recommended fertilizer. And as with succulents, those fleshy leaves indicate spiderwort's ability to store water. Under a brown shell, theres an insect attached to your plant, greedily sucking away. Purple heart plants need rich, moist, well-draining soil to grow. When its time to rehydrate your wandering dude, water the surface of the soil instead of holding your watering can directly over your plant. The 'Purple Heart' (Tradescantia pallida) is a hardy plant with a stunning color payoff. 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. This plant is easy to grow and maintain. When keeping houseplants, its important to start with a healthy specimen. I still have this growing in a pot on my kitchen table!! It has 2 to 5+ inch long, narrow pointed purple leaves arranged alternately along thick herbaceous segmented stems. Also, make sure you leave your soil even with the surrounding soil. 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. You can plant more than one cutting as long as they dont overlap. If you have small children or pets, please keep these houseplants out of reach, just to be safe. The Basics of Composting. Drainage is essential for the purple heart, but these plants are relatively adaptable to soil pH, ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Whichever the case, the purple is always predominant color, which is why it's called the purple queen. Small, three-petaled flowers emerge from the ends of stems. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. One story is that T. virginiana was brought to Tradescant the Elder as a specimen from an expedition to the Americas that he organized. It has also been given the nickname Purple Spiderlily, which comes from its plant genus Spiderwort - also known as Tradescantia. No matter where you grow them, theyll need good drainage to thrive. In full sun or heat waves theyll need more frequent watering. COPYRIGHT 2023 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. That doesnt happen for houseplants, so it does help to offer them some fertilizer, particularly during spring and summer when they are growing actively. Shorter stems will also be able to grow upwards rather than trailing down, giving a more upright overall appearance. She bought her first succulent 10 years ago - an adorable Echeveria Setosa. Fashion never stops. 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. You can also subscribe without commenting. And to me at least, these seem to grow an inch per day another possible inspiration for this name! You can wear gloves to prevent this. 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. Purple heart plants have foliage that turns brown when it lacks moisture or humidity. In addition, immediately after fertilizing your plants, water them. Undoubtedly, if you follow the above steps of caring for your purple queen plant, you will have an excellent plant that brings joy to your home and garden at all times and seasons, including holiday seasons. Find a good watering schedule and stick to it. Its purple leaves are long and oval-shaped, producing small purple flowers in summer. Beautifully variegated or in soothing shades of solid green, spiderworts are easy-care houseplants that will give you masses of vines to beautify your indoor space. Choosing a good spot is an important step for long-lasting health. Yes, purple hearts are easy to grow once you know how to provide the best light, water, and other care needs. Now that you know how easy it is to grow the striking purple heart plant, it can be a beautiful addition to your home or garden. Aphids are tiny sap-sucking insects that tend to set up camp on the undersides of foliage. Indirect or filtered light helps avoid leaf burn or scorch, but too little sunlight will cause foliage to drop. 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. Plants need more water when establishing, but after a few years are relatively drought-tolerant. Here is more about what we do. Fashion fades, only style remains the same. Purple heart plants grow in loose, airy, moist, and well-draining soil. Pinch off new stems as they form to encourage branching in the spring, or use sharp pruners to give it a hard trim after flowering has finished. The stems and upper surfaces of the leaves are a deep royal purple with shades of a faint dusty turquoise-gunmetal that becomes darker as the foliage grows older. Tradescantia pallida require little care once theyre established. The spreading nature of purple queen plants makes pruning a necessary part of their care, both indoors and outdoors. This plant propagates quickly from any part of the plant by placing it in adaptable soil or water. Now that you have the ideal place in mind to grow a purple heart plant, lets talk about their care. They will eventually fall, leaving the calyces. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea' is commonly called purple secretia, purple-heart, [2] or purple queen. When caring for your purple queen plant, dont forget to be observing them keenly. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy to prevent the plant from rotting. But the University of Wisconsin notes that sap from cut or broken stems can occasionally cause skin irritation for people or pets. Earthworm Compost Tea Organic Houseplant Fertilizer. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You may want to relegate them to houseplant status where you can make sure they dont get out of hand. Is the purple heart plant indoor or outdoor? It will teach you all you need to know in order to be successful growing houseplants year round. It is best to water your Tradescantia Purpurea plants thoroughly. The other common name is purple queen due to the color that makes up the stems, leaves, and flowers. Make sure to maintain plenty of drainage holes to prevent root rot. So either let your dude wander within the confines of your home, or consider growing him in a container outdoors. That common name is on the out as far as this writer and this publication goes. Seeds can be sown outdoors in either fall or early spring and should be lightly covered. If the brown is appearing in the middle of the plant, its likely from aging. In the landscape, the plant has an upright, branching . Tradescantia Purpurea is an overall easy to grow plant that doesnt require any special care. I loved being surrounded by all that lush greenery when I was indoors. To ensure that deep purple hue this plant is known for, place it in a location where it will receive full sun. After about a month, when you see new growth appearing on the stems, you can safely remove the plastic. I'm an author and expert gardener who loves growing ALL of the plants. If your plants colour changes to brown, it is likely because there isnt enough moisture. 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. A calyx is the base of a flower and is usually green, but queen's wreath boasts purple calyces as attractive as the true flower petals. Before using them, do thorough research. You can amend outdoor beds with peat moss or compost to increase organic matter, or add sand to help with drainage. In their native habitat and in areas where they have naturalized they grow in moist soil in woodlands, rainforests, and riparian areas. They usually produce new leaves quite quickly while also shedding the older ones. However, it would be best if you do not overcrowd your plants. Because of his taunting, the story goes, this man was doomed to wander the earth until the second coming of Jesus. A cutting measuring 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) roots the best. To grow happy and healthy, Tradescantia Purpurea plants need regular watering and plenty of natural light. Bloom Time: Grown for Foliage. In warm enough climates theyre used as ground cover, but can also trail over walls, large containers, or hanging baskets. Tradescantia Purpurea pallida can be propagated easily by rooting cuttings in water or directly in the soil. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Water when the top one to two inches of soil are dry. Purple Queen Purple Heart Purple Secretia. Love this plant as ground cover that thrives in sun or shade. 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. Mealybugs are another group of nutrient suckers. Another time to prune is if your plant starts to look a bit scraggly. 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. Its also proven to survive freezes and comes back strong in the Spring! Thanks to some easy propagation and quick growth, those two tiny pots have been transformed into four medium-sized houseplants, plus two additional small specimens I just started from cuttings. it's a very low maintenance plant and easy to grow.. Purple heart plants thrive in humid climates, so if growing as a houseplant, use a humidifier to mimic tropical conditions. A purple plant loves sunny areas. However, as allTradescantiaplants are toxic topeopleandpets, be mindful of where you grow this trailing plantjuice from the leaves or stems can cause skin irritation for some people and even some dogs. 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. Mature Spread 12 - 24 Inches. You can trim up to half the total size, which will result in more compact growth through the summer. 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. The plants produce small pink and purple flowers, but the leaves catch the eye more than the blooms. When well-intentioned plant parents give their houseplants a little too much love (i.e. If you ask me does it flower? Seedlings for the purple heart plant can sometimes be challenging to come by. Commonly planted in pots or displayed in hanging baskets, purple hearts are aptly named, as their foliage appears in silvery purple and violet hues. White spots on your purple heart could be caused by insects, hail, or mildew. You might also try simply wiping them away with a damp paper towel. 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. Oxygen starved roots can rot, preventing the foliage from receiving the water it needs. (If you can, let me know in the comments! The foliage and stems of spiderworts are covered with small hairs, some species more than others. Stems are notoriously fragile and can break off very easily. According to Richard G. Hawks, Plant Evaluations Manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the common name spiderwort was most likely inspired by the web-like threads that form from the plants sap and harden after stems are severed. 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