Tradescantia pallida

Purple heart is a trailing perennial from Mexico grown for its dark purple stems and leaves. It is hardy just in Zones 10 and 11, so most gardeners grow it as an annual groundcover, a hanging basket plant, or a houseplant. It colors up best in full sun, turns greener in shade, and tolerates drought once established. Small pink flowers open in summer. Pinch the tips to keep it bushy, and bring pots inside before nights drop below 50 degrees. Stem cuttings root fast in soil or water. The sap can irritate skin.

Indoors or out? In Zones 10 and 11, plant it outdoors as a groundcover in full sun. Elsewhere, use it as a summer annual or keep it in a pot you can move inside. Wear gloves when you prune, since NC State Extension warns: “The sap from the leaves and stem can also cause skin irritation in both humans and pets.” See also easy houseplants that are hard to kill, hanging plants and planters, and how to propagate pothos.

Tradescantia pallida is a small, trailing tropical plant with dark purple leaves and stems. It comes from Mexico and is now popular across the U.S. You can grow it outdoors as a groundcover or bedding plant, or indoors as an easy houseplant. Also known as the purple heart plant, it colors up best in sun but tolerates bright indoor light.

Tradescantia pallida basics

The botanical name for the purple heart plant is Tradescantia pallida. It was once called Setcreasea pallida or Setcreasea purpurea. It is one of the most popular Tradescantia plants.

Tradescantia pallida is best known as purple heart. It belongs to the spiderwort genus, Tradescantia. Other common names include purple queen and purple inch plant.

Look for dark purple stems and pointed, lance-shaped purple leaves. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long, and plants grow about 12 to 18 inches tall and wide. Small pink or pale purple flowers with yellow stamens open in summer, and each lasts a day. Neither the leaves nor the flowers are heart-shaped. The stems are fragile and covered in fine, pale hairs.

Purple heart is native to Mexico, where it grows as a groundcover. In the U.S. it is a common houseplant everywhere and a garden plant in the warm South.

How to care for Tradescantia pallida

Tradescantia pallida is one of the easiest foliage plants to grow. It likes sun and well-drained soil. Here are the details.

Light requirements

Indoors, give purple heart your brightest window. It often benefits from a simple LED grow light, since most rooms are too dim for strong color.

Outdoors, plant it in full sun to part shade. NC State Extension notes: “Full sun will result in the best color development.” In shade, the leaves turn greener. It is hardy in Zones 10 and 11 and grows as an annual or container plant elsewhere.

Potting soil for Tradescantia pallida

Use soil that drains well with no pooling. A good potting mix with perlite or pumice keeps air around the roots and lets extra water drain out.

Watering Tradescantia pallida

Water enough to keep the soil a little moist, but never soggy. Established plants tolerate drought, salt, and dry soil, though they look best with regular water.

Pruning Tradescantia pallida

Pinch the stem tips of young plants to make them bushier. If stems get leggy, cut them back by a third. Outdoors, space plants 1 to 2 feet apart and shelter them from strong winds, which can snap the stems.

Feeding Tradescantia pallida

Container plants need fertilizer, since they can’t draw nutrients from garden soil. Feed during the growing season and follow the directions on the package.

In winter, water less and skip the fertilizer. Growth slows in the cooler, darker months.

Tradescantia pallida season by season

Here is what purple heart does through the year.

Spring

Spring is the best time to plant a new Tradescantia pallida, once nights stay warm. It is also when plants start growing again after winter. Begin feeding and pinch the new shoots.

Summer

Flowers appear in midsummer. Trim leggy stems as needed to keep plants full. This is when purple heart looks its best.

Fall

Bring container plants indoors before nights turn cold. NC State Extension warns: “These plants do not tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.” Take cuttings now if you want spare plants for spring.

Winter

In Zones 10 and 11, outdoor plants keep growing, and in borderline areas they may die back and return from the roots. In colder areas, frost kills them. Indoor plants keep their purple color and grow a little over winter.

Tradescantia pallida propagation

Tradescantia pallida is one of the easiest plants to propagate. Cut a stem a few inches long and push it into moist potting mix. Cuttings root in a few weeks and grow fast once they settle in.

You can also root cuttings in a glass of water before planting them. Fall cuttings make good indoor plants for winter, ready to plant out in spring.

Tradescantia pallida FAQ

More Inch plants (Tradescantia) to grow

Here are some other types of Inch Plants (Tradescantia) to grow in addition to Tradescantia pallida:

• Tradescantia zebrina
• Tradescantia fluminensis