This guide provides detailed instructions on how to care for Tradescantia plants, including watering, light, temperature, humidity preferences, and any additional care it might need. Tradescantia plants can be grown indoors or outdoors, with tropical varieties for their attractive foliage and hardy types for their charming three-petaled flowers. General care includes regular watering but ensuring soil doesn’t become soggy, pruning leggy stems to encourage bushier growth, and feeding once every month during the spring and summer with a liquid fertilizer.
Tradescantia plants prefer moist but not waterlogged soil, and should be watered once about half of the soil has dried out between waterings. They thrive in bright light, and pink varieties like the tricolor and nanouk will fade in color if they don’t receive enough light. A regular watering schedule works well, and it is essential to avoid the plant drying out at all, especially over winter.
Inch plants (Tradescantia) are popular houseplants and outdoor container plants with attractive purple and silver-striped foliage. They can survive any indoor environment and are perfect for beginners. To ensure proper care, provide good drainage and avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.
📹 Wandering Jew Plant Care: Growing Tradescantia Zebrina
You can even propagate tradescantia without much trouble at all, it will root in just a few days and you’ll have an endless supply!
Do Tradescantia like sun or shade?
Tradescantia plants thrive in bright, indirect sunlight, but too much can scorch their leaves. They prefer East or West-facing windows or diffused South windows. Northern exposure provides low-moderate indirect light, so grow light is essential. Measure the light to ensure adequate coverage. Tradescantia plants need to be kept moist but not waterlogged. Watering should occur once half of the soil has dried out between waterings, more frequently in brighter light and less in lower light. Summer watering may be necessary, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely to prevent wilting and leaf drop. A moisture meter can help gauge soil moisture and avoid overwatering.
How do you take care of a transcendia plant?
Tradescantia plants require bright, indirect light, preferably near a window with a sheer curtain. Avoid direct sunlight to prevent scorching of leaves and faded colors. Watering should be frequent, allowing soil to dry out between waterings. During summer, more frequent watering may be necessary, but avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. The best potting soil for tradescantia is a mixture of potting soil and perlite or sand.
How do I keep Tradescantia purple?
Purple heart plants should be grown in full sun for optimal color development, while those in shade tend to be more green. Pinch the plants for compact growth and they are drought-tolerant and can tolerate frequent watering. Fertilize monthly when actively growing and cut back after flowering to prevent spindling. If grown indoors or as houseplants, reduce watering during winter and fertilize only when new growth starts in spring. Purple heart plants have few pests, but scales and mealybugs can be a problem.
The juice from the leaves or stems may cause skin redness and irritation in some people and dogs. Plants can be propagated by taking cuttings from any part of the plant or from seed, but this method is rare.
How do I keep my Tradescantia happy?
The Tradescantia inch plant, which exhibits a preference for moisture, should not be provided with excessive irrigation in the ceramic pot. Any excess water should be discarded. To maintain the purple pigmentation of the plant, it is essential to provide adequate light, such as that received from a sunny windowsill.
How often should I water my Tradescantia?
Tradescantia leaves turning yellow and brown are a sign of dehydration in the plant. While the plant can tolerate some neglect, excessive watering can cause the leaves to yellow and brown. To prevent this, check the soil and water the plant when the top few centimeters have dried out, about once every 7 to 10 days. This blog provides essential information for starting with your Tradescantia Zebrina and ensuring its incorporation into your indoor jungle.
Why is my transcendia plant dying?
Tradescantia plants require moist soil and should be irrigated using the bottom-up method, placing the pot on a saucer of water until thorough absorption is achieved. Under-watering symptoms include crispy/curling leaves, a grey, washed-out appearance, yellowing leaves, and a lack of new growth. Dehydration is the number one issue among growers, so it is crucial to monitor for drying soil. Over-watering symptoms include yellowing lower leaves, little to no growth, and rotting stem or leaves.
Avoid allowing a Tradescantia to endure long periods of soggy soil or a dark location, as these can increase the risk of over-watering and death. If watering from the top, blow excess moisture from the leaves’ cubbyholes to avoid rotten foliage. Average humidity in the home is enough to occupy a Tradescantia, so finely mist the foliage weekly or introduce a humidity tray. Fertilization should be done every four times during the growing period and every six in the autumn and winter, using a ‘Houseplant’ labelled fertiliser.
How do I get my Tradescantia to bloom?
To ensure the blooming of Tradescantia albiflora ‘Albovittata’, it is essential to maintain a temperature of 65-75°F and 40-60°F, with a humidity level of 40-60%. Proper pruning and fertilization are also crucial for promoting blooms. The ideal light intensity for this plant is luminous but not laser-like, mimicking the dappled light of its natural habitat. Too much direct sunlight can turn the plant into crispy foliage, while too little light can leave it in a perpetual state of bloomlessness.
As the seasons shift, the plant’s position should also be adjusted. In the darker months, the plant should be closer to the window to absorb every possible ray. In summer, the plant may need to be shielded from the harsh midday sun.
How do you keep Tradescantia bushy?
Regular pruning is recommended for tradescantia ‘Zebrina’ to promote bushier growth and prevent legginess. Pinch off stem tips for branching and trim back leggy stems. Propagation can be done by taking stem cuttings and rooting them in water or soil. This low-maintenance plant is suitable for beginners and experienced plant parents, and with proper care, its stunning foliage can last for years. Rewild your inbox for plant tips and special offers without spam.
How do I make Tradescantia more full?
Tradescantia zebrina, also known as the inch plant, is a prize-worthy member of the spiderwort family with striped leaves, brilliant hues, and long, trailing vines. To care for this plant, use a well-draining potting mix, let it shine in a hanging basket, and provide plenty of indirect light. Avoid letting it get too dry between waterings, feed it plant food, pinch back leggy stems, and grow more by placing cuttings in water or soil.
The plant is less prone to gnats and prefers a pot with drainage holes or a hanging basket. If roots appear or growth slows down, be prepared to repot it. The plant’s unfussy nature makes care easy and it’s a great addition to any garden.
Can you revive a dying plant?
To revive a plant, check for underwatering by soaking the pot in water and adopting a consistent watering schedule. Remove dead leaves, which may die due to improper care, using plant shears to remove them with no hope of survival. Focus on recovery rather than keeping dying leaves alive. Cut back dead stems to keep healthy growth, with at least a few inches of stems reaching above the soil. If the problem isn’t watering, consider the sunlight the plant receives, as it may need extra sunlight or prefer a spot further away from the window. It takes time for plants to respond appropriately to good lighting conditions. Remember to keep the plant healthy and thriving by addressing any issues promptly.
📹 Unlocking the Secrets of Tradescantia: The Ultimate Care Guide
Aloha! Join me as I guide you through all of the Tradescantia houseplant care requirements you need to know in order to grow, …
Great survey, Andrea. Love tradescantia. I’ve found it best to be diligent about pruning the trailing variety because the stems are actually quite tender. So much so that a long vine will actually bruise at the pot’s edge from the weight, eventually killing that section. On mine, when the vines get long, I put the pot beside another pot of soil, then drape the ends there. Sprinkle a little soil at the nodes (or lightly pin the node to the new pot’s surface): They will root easily. Sever from the original plant when you’re ready. These new pots make wonderful gifts, without fussing w/water propagation > potting up.
Your articles are always so informative, I love it. I happen to be Jewish and like the common name, but to each their own. What’s more important is that I just recently found out I have one growing in my garden (I think that one is a fluminensis), and I got a Purple Heart cutting from my mom earlier today, so this is really useful to me. Thanks!
First, you get full points for referring to cultivars as well as species! Second, you are a lot of fun to watch, (I only discovered you a couple of weeks ago) because you’re encouraging, knowledgeable, and a cat person to boot. Thank you for all the time you obviously put into your articles. Last spring I planted a wee green and white tradescantia (not sure of cultivar or variety) sold as a container filler, outside into one of my many planters. Holy moly. We haven’t had frost here yet and it is like three feet long, very bushy, and lovely. I will always add them to outdoor containers from here on in. I did take some cuttings last week and they appear to be already rooting. Now, as for Callisia repens…that’s an ongoing challenge for me. Cheers from Nova Scotia.
Thank you for doing another great article, especially on an under-appreciated plant (imo). I had a pallida when I was a kid, I knew it as Moses in the Cradle, and I bought it as a houseplant. I wasn’t aware that they were hardy in Texas. I now have two varieties of fluminensis, two of the spathacae and another variety, sillamontana, which is fuzzy and sunstresses to a beautiful purple. They all do well under 6500K LEDs during the winter. My green fluminensis is 38 years old; I started it from a spindly, 4 inch cutting from my first job out of college, and now, I have multiple plants and have given away more than I can count. My fav will always be the Zebrina. With proper care, the leaves can grow very large and remarkably metallic.
You have way more knowledge of plants than all the houseplant YouTubers I subscribe to. Do you have a degree in plants? If not how did you attain all that knowledge? Surely not from perusal other YouTube’s. I feel I can trust you to guide me on my plant journey. Thank you so much. Oh, and keep a kids water squirt gun on hand to surprise Leo with when he starts playing with a plant. As you squirt his face give a sharp loud “NO!”. He will learn to associate the no! with the surprise squirt and down the road you can discontinue the squirt but he will associate the no! with discomfort and eventually just stay away from the plants.
I looooove my tradescantia! The silvery shimmer is just beautiful! I always have lots of propagations going on because it seems to snap fairly easy.. but hey I love propagating 😂 that tri color is gorgeous!!!! I always stress over cutting back long vines but later say what didn’t I do that sooner?! I love my Purple Heart outside! Nothing can stop that thing! Love the little blooms on them.
Just found you and subbed after one vid. I really enjoyed listening to you explain everything, easy to follow and so thorough. Thank you! I have only been on my journey to becoming an indoor plant mama for about 2 years. My Zebrina was one of my earlier plants and it has become one of my favorites. So happy and full no matter where it sits, you are right about them being adaptable. I place the plant just out of reach of direct sunlight in the summer and will move it to the window sil on cooler or cloudy days. It also makes lots of little flowers. So far my indoor plant collection is at 25 but my Tradescantias (2 Nanouks as well) are some of my favorites to care for. My Zebra plant and my Calathea Medallion are my fussiest plants by far but they are doing well as I do check them daily. Looking forward to checking out your other articles. ❤
Thank You for omitting the Wandering J name. Many people don’t realize that the name is rooted in antisemitism, and is derogatory and offensive. 👍 I purchased a Pistachio White Teadescantia and am growing it outdoors under a shade cloth (85% shade). It is beautiful and full. Seems to like St Louis hot humid summers. I’m taking cuttings each week to give to neighbors, and keeping a few for myself in case it doesn’t overwinter well indoors. I’m thinking of growing some cuttings in a trough planter so it can creep horizontally a bit. Any thoughts on trying to grow it vertically on a plastic moss pole??
I am binge perusal you again, 😂😂 Can you do a article on what those 3 numbers in the fertz mean? Like what is the difference between 20-20-20 and 10-10-10 ??? Are they the same thing? Is the higher the numbers better?? I know the numbers are N-P-K, but I am not sure how to compare them on the different product labels.
I’ve had houseplants all my life and I NEVER found pests on my Tradescantias or Spider plants. There has to be a chemical reason for this, and it’s very interesting how Mealy Bugs avoid certain species. We could turn this to our advantage if a poper study was done! Trads are super easy and tolerant and the end leaves can be massive if under bright lights on a main stem. The biggest drawback is indeed how fast they grow, dropping vines and leaves, so they need constant pruning to stay looking good. The purpose of a vine is to self propogate in new territory so I find there’s a limit to the length of a good hanging plant 🌿
Hmm, now I’m not sure again. I previously tried identifying the plant I have, and I came to the conclusion that “albiflora” and “albovitatta” are outdated/misused names. Now I’m between fluminensis “Variegata” and Continental Group “White Giant”. I was thinking the fluminensis usage was also incorrect, so the plant really belongs under the Continental Group. But poking around again today, I do see fluminensis “Variegata” used a good amount. I guess I’ll wait to see how my plant matures, then I’ll look into it again.
My mom has totally drowned two tradescantia, the zebrina died completely despite my best efforts to take cuttings they were just too far gone, the other one I can’t recall the name, I think she calls it a leopard (she buys them for their tags) and I’ve had to completely take cuttings and after like 7 weeks it’s finally looking like a plant again, mostly… I just got her a nanouk BC she was sad about her zebrina and I couldn’t find a zebrina and I intentionally got her one in the 1-2 inch pot so she can stay it every freaking day if she wants and it should be fine. She named it, nanouk BC it sounds Aboriginal and “cute” and I’m like well at least we know what species it is 🤷🏼♀️ PS we live in a very high Aboriginal populated area, so much so that our towns signs are in both English and Ojibwe and most of us know at least a few words and have some DNA so it’s not an inappropriate wording. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t have Ojibwe on the translate, I don’t think it has any native languages. It has many spellings though through different communities and seems to mean “polar bear”.
You “mildly toxic to pets” Me “hey cat, your not using these two shelves on your car condo right? Thanks!” Loads it up with toxic plants and halo grow lights The cat “welcome to my jungle!” She’s even got a cactus… Oddly and happily, she only eats the plants that are not toxic, which means my point tail palm has a pixi cut…
They have been called wandering jew since the 1960s no one ever took offense back then. And they remained being called wandering jews the last 60 years. Not sure why in 2023 everyone all of a sudden took offense to that name? And not the last 60 years? I say personally, people should just relax with whatever name a plant is be happy that plant exists and enjoy the plant regardless of a name