Purple Heart Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Setcreasea pallida
- S. pallida
- S. purpurea
- Phonetic Spelling
- trad-es-KAN-tee-uh PAL-lid-duh
- Description
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Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' is a tender perennial commonly used as a houseplant or an annual. Featuring trailing purple stems with violet-purple leaves and pink flowers that appear in the summer. It is generally an annual but may come back in protected areas or in mild winters. To plant outdoors find a location with full sun to partial shade and well-drained high organic matter soil that stays evenly moist. Full sun will produce the best color development. Plants placed in a shady location will tend to have a more greenish tint. Each flower only lasts one day. It has been recently grown outdoors as a decorative ground cover or bedding plant. It has a tendency to become invasive in beds and survives longer than most bedding plants.
It works well in borders, rock gardens, or as an edging plant, use in containers or hanging baskets. Pinch back to encourage bushiness. Desired for its colorful and distinguishing purple foliage, stems and fast growth. It is also commonly grown indoors in a hanging basket or in interiorscapes as a groundcover.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems, although aphids and vine weevil are attracted, as well as scales and mealybugs. Outdoor plants can be munched on by caterpillars, slugs and snails.
Protect from strong winds that can damage the stems.
The juice from the leaves and stems can occasional cause skin redness and irritation in both humans and dogs, however, this issue is not common.
Quick ID
- Leaf front and back and stems are PURPLE
- Flowers are at the ends of stems, and are usually pink
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Foundation Planting- West Side of House Sun and Shade Demo Garden, Buncombe County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Tradescantia
- Species:
- pallida
- Family:
- Commelinaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Leaf Cutting
- Root Cutting
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mexico
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Buffer
- Colorful
- Easy to Grow
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- This plant is somewhat resistant to damage by deer and is moderately salt and drought tolerant.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ground Cover
- Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are bright pink or pink with a white midline (rarely white), terminal, about 1 inch, with 3 equal petals and 3 sepals, subtended by a pair of ovate-acuminate bracts, 7 cm; peduncles 6-11 cm.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Slippery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, simple, and oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate. They are acute, blade sessile with a closed sheath, margins in rolled to give trough-shape, reddish-purple above and below.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The thick, fleshy, but fragile stems are ascending, decumbent or trailing, purple, rooting at nodes.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants
- Patio
- Slope/Bank
- Vertical Spaces
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Salt