Before we talk about how to care for a purple heart plant, first we should discuss the best location to grow it. deep and 8 to 12 inches (20.5-30.5 cm.) Its also proven to survive freezes and comes back strong in the Spring! If filling your home with houseplants and creating your own indoor jungle sounds like a marvelous idea, here are a few other articles that are bound to get your indoor gardening juices flowing: Photos by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin Ask the Experts, LLC. Purple heart is native to the Gulf Coast region of Mexico and can grow to heights of one and a half feet tall and wide. The plant grows relatively low and reaches only a maximum of 12 inches upon maturity. It has lovely purple leaves that are long and oval. 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. The plant works best in well-drained, fertile soil. Here Ive answered some of the most commonly asked questions about purple heart plant care. 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. Or if you do want to use them outdoors, keep them safely confined use them as members of your container garden. 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. 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. Some species are variegated, while others are solid green or solid purple in color. This will help the roots spread into their new soil. The spreading nature of purple queen plants makes pruning a necessary part of their care, both indoors and outdoors. Asking for a friend). Find more information on controlling scale insects here. Although these plants do well with moist soil, they also require good drainage. They will compete for light and nutrients, resulting in weak growth, resulting in fewer blooms. This can prevent the germination and establishment of other native plants. 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. As an outdoor plant, spiderworts can be used as annuals in your flower beds or as perennials if you live in the right zone. This plant is the best selection for planting in an outdoor container and hanging baskets. Ideally you should provide them with full sun for most of the day, though some shade in extremely hot climates can prevent them from burning. in a glass container filled with lukewarm water. If your plants colour changes to brown, it is likely because there isnt enough moisture. The best rule of thumb for watering spiderworts is to let the top one to two inches of soil dry out in between waterings. While these plants are popular for pots and hanging baskets, they are also sometimes employed as ground cover plantings because of their hardiness. While certainly not as fussy about relative humidity as prayer plants or orchids, a daily misting is a good idea, particularly if you live in a drier climate like I do, or if your indoor air is particularly dry during winter. Maintenance Category: Easy. The plants produce small pink and purple flowers, but the leaves catch the eye more than the blooms. You can grow the purple heart plant indoors or outdoors with equal success, given the proper environment. 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. Extreme heat and direct sun can scorch its leaves. In this post, Ill show you all you need to know in order to keep them thriving. How To Grow Purple Queen Plant These species grow to about one to one and a half feet tall and wide. Tradescantia pallida Purpurea also known as Purple Queen, Purple Heart, Setcresea Purpurea, Purple Spiderwort, or Wandering Jew Purpurea is a popular evergreen perennial. This plant is easy to grow and maintain. These tender evergreen perennials have a spreading growth habit, forming thick mats of vegetation, and they are able to root into the soil from their vines, particularly at leaf nodes. After about a month, when you see new growth appearing on the stems, you can safely remove the plastic. No matter where you grow them, theyll need good drainage to thrive. Purple Heart is available for purchase in a four-inch pot from Succulents Box, via Amazon. Allow the soil to drain entirely and wait until the top few inches of soil are dry. First, Purple Heart is a cultivated variety of T. pallida, a species native to Mexico. However, the conditions in your home may be different, so check your plants, and adjust your watering routine accordingly. When its time to rehydrate your wandering dude, water the surface of the soil instead of holding your watering can directly over your plant. 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. Purple heart plants are relatively hardy, but issues such as overwatering, improper sun exposure, or soil nutrient imbalance can cause issues. It is a long-jointed sprawling ground-cover plant. This perennial is native to . Stop fertilizing in the fall and winter, and avoid chemical brands that can damage or burn the plant. Growing Zones 8 - 11. While some spiderworts can be grown outdoors as perennials in temperate zones, this article will focus on growing and caring for the many tropical species typically cultivated as houseplants. Spiderwort is not an especially alluring name, and different sources give varying reasons for this plant's unusual common name. Keep it somewhere warm and bright for 1-2 weeks. When grown outdoors, the purple heart plant will die back in the winter when temperatures reach below 40F, but the roots stay alive. But you may also be able to find the much more rare variegated purple heart, which features pink striping along the leaves. For a fuller-looking specimen, pinching or cutting back vines will help to encourage bushier growth. Though fertilizing a purple queen plant is not a necessary part of their care, the occasional feeding can reinvigorate growth, enhance flowering, and make the colors more vibrant. You may want to relegate them to houseplant status where you can make sure they dont get out of hand. If you live in an area with temperatures that reach below 40F, then bring plants indoors to prevent cold damage. This variety has solid purple foliage and delicate pink flowers. In their native habitat and in areas where they have naturalized they grow in moist soil in woodlands, rainforests, and riparian areas. Fashion fades, only style remains the same. Light Requirement: Part Shade to Shade. If the plant has become root bound, gently loosen up the outer layer of roots. If you fail to prune them, they will become leggy, shaggy and they will cover up your room in an inappropriate way. Tradescantia pallida "Purpurea" also known as Purple Queen, Purple Heart, Setcresea Purpurea, Purple Spiderwort, or Wandering Jew "Purpurea" is a popular evergreen perennial. Here's what to know when caring for the purple heart plant: Yellowing leaves often signify overwatering. The Southern Living Garden Bookexplains, "Types grown as houseplants should be given bright indirect light and kept fairly moist; feed them with a general-purpose liquid houseplant fertilizer twice a month from spring through fall, once a month in winter." Avoid specimens with yellow leaves or large quantities of brown leaves a few brown leaves are to be expected. Other common names include Purple Queen Plant and Purple Inch Plant. Control them by hand picking, or spreading a diatomaceous earth barrier around the base. Find a good watering schedule and stick to it. However, a few pests love to make purple heart plants their home. Reduce watering somewhat during the winter since they dont need quite as much water during the cooler weather. Commonly planted in pots or displayed in hanging baskets, purple hearts are aptly named, as their foliage appears in silvery purple and violet hues. There are two different stories about how this father and son team became associated with the genus that bears their name. Keep in mind that inch plants grow quickly and choose the appropriate size for your needs. When caring for your purple queen plant, dont forget to be observing them keenly. Im sure you will feel so embarrassed and discouraged. In the winter theyll need much less. However yellow leaves can also be caused by severe lack of light, too little water, or inadequate nutrients. Additionally, leaves turn brown when overexposed to sunlight. Inch plants are incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings. Purple heart plants can survive cold weather, but frost typically kills the tops of the plant. If the white spots look like cotton, then its likely mealybugs. Tradescantia plants are considered fast-growing. The best time to do this is when the plant is actively growing. A purple plant loves sunny areas. It can tolerate drought conditions once established, but will also thrive when grown with regular moisture. It also makes an interesting groundcover for rock gardens and spills beautifully over retaining walls. 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. 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. Use loamy soil because its the best at good drainage and water retention. which you may know as purple queen or purple heart. Plant them in spring about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) Wandering Jew plants are great house plants because they are relatively easy to care for. Easygoing inch plant does not often succumb to disease. Wear gloves when pruning in the summer to avoid sap from contacting your skin. In this purple heart plant care guide youll learn what it takes to keep the foliage thriving and beautiful. It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. Beyond the purple heart plant, other Tradescantiaspecies are also widespread. However, its always good to know what to be on the lookout for. It is widely commercialized as a house plant and for outdoor gardens. To an untrained eye, these pests may be hard to spot they look like tiny brown bumps and can be mistaken for bits of dirt. Type above and press Enter to search. Also, make sure you leave your soil even with the surrounding soil. Small holes may appear on the foliage if a pest infestation occurs, but soapy water or an insecticide can help if the issue persists. Copyright - Daniel Oren All Rights Reserved. Like aphids, they can sicken your spiderwort by stealing its nutrients and a serious infestation can kill your houseplant. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. And if you choose to ignore this advice just dont say I didnt warn you. Read our privacy policy for the full story on how we protect and manage your submitted data. 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. Spiderworts can be grown from purchased plants or propagated through division, cuttings, or seed. Purple queen plants are so adorable. It can also be helpful to lift your inch plants pot to check it for dryness. Fertilize purple heart plants twice a month throughout the growing seasonspring to fallwith a diluted liquid balanced fertilizer. It is best to water your Tradescantia Purpurea plants thoroughly. Plants need more water when establishing, but after a few years are relatively drought-tolerant. The lance-shaped leaves can reach up to 7 long on delicate, thin stems. The purple queen plant is a species of spiderwort (a genus of new world plants) and looks like T. Zebrina. 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