Fast, colorful trailers for hanging baskets: pink-striped ‘Nanouk’, purple-and-silver zebrina, white-striped albiflora, the fine-textured Tahitian bridal veil and the white-fuzzed sillamontana — six inch plants that grow like they’re in a hurry.
Tradescantia is the houseplant that does the most in the least time. A basket bought in March is a curtain of striped foliage by June, and every piece you pinch off roots in water within a week. The colors are the draw — pink, purple, silver, cream and velvety white — and they intensify in bright light. In an Arizona house the trick is simply that light: in a dim room the stems stretch and the stripes fade to green.
We commonly carry six: ‘Nanouk’ with its thick pink-and-mint striped leaves, the classic purple inch plant zebrina, white-striped albiflora ‘Variegata’, pale ‘Pistachio White’, the tiny-leaved Tahitian bridal veil, and sillamontana, whose leaves are coated in white fuzz. The rest of the bench is on our Houseplants page.
These are the tradescantia varieties we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
Tradescantia ‘Nanouk’ — thick, stiff leaves striped in pink, white and mint green on sturdy stems. The most popular tradescantia of the last few years; bright light keeps the pink strong.
Pale pistachio-green leaves heavily variegated with white and a pink flush on the stems. Softer coloring than ‘Nanouk’; wants bright indirect light to stay pale.
Fresh green leaves striped with white on a vigorous trailer. Pinch out any all-green stems, which grow faster and take over.
A cloud of tiny dark leaves, purple beneath, with small white flowers scattered through it. Finer and more delicate than the others — keep it evenly moist and out of direct sun.
The classic inch plant: leaves striped silver and green above, deep purple beneath, on fast purple stems. Tough, quick, and the easiest to keep colorful.
White cobweb hairs cover the leaves of this Mexican species, giving it a silver, velvet look, with cream variegation on this form. More drought-tolerant than the rest; the fuzz is its own sunscreen.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Tradescantia keeps its stripes and pinks only in bright light: an east window, a bright bathroom, or a spot near a south window with sheer curtains. In shade the leaves turn green and the stems stretch into strings. Direct sun through west glass in summer scorches all but sillamontana; morning sun is fine.
Left alone, a tradescantia goes bald at the crown and long at the tips. Pinch the growing ends every couple of weeks, and every few months cut the longest stems back hard and stick the cuttings into the top of the pot — they root in days and refill the basket. A plant that is more stem than leaf is asking for this reset.
A balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength every three to four weeks from March through October. They are shallow-rooted and rarely need a bigger pot — refresh the mix and restart from cuttings every year or two instead of potting up.
Water when the top inch of the basket is dry, every four to six days in summer indoors and about weekly in winter. They wilt fast when dry and recover fast when watered, but repeated drying browns the leaf tips. Baskets dry from the top and the sides; water until it runs through. Sillamontana takes drier conditions than the others.
They tolerate our dry indoor air but show it with brown tips if they sit near an air-conditioning vent. Hang the basket away from the register and mist occasionally in the driest months. The July-to-September monsoon is when they grow fastest indoors.
The sap can irritate skin, and tradescantia is mildly toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Outdoors it wants full shade with no direct sun, and frost protection — a covered north or east patio from March to May and October to the first cold night. Summer heat stresses it even in shade.
Yellowing, spots, no new growth — snap a photo of the plant and its window and we’ll diagnose it at the bench. Advice is free.
We stock indoor potting mix, orchid bark and perlite for the chunky blends aroids and epiphytes want, balanced houseplant fertilizers, insecticidal soap and neem for the usual mealybug and mite visits, and moss poles, hoops and saucers. The pottery yard has terracotta, glazed and lightweight pots from 4-inch up, plus hanging baskets and cache pots.
Not enough light. Pink and silver stripes need bright indirect light; in a dim room the leaves turn green and the stems stretch. Move it closer to an east window, out of direct afternoon sun.
That is how all tradescantias grow if they aren’t pinched. Cut the long stems back hard and push the cuttings into the top of the pot; they root within days and refill the basket. Pinch the tips every couple of weeks after that.
When the top inch is dry, every four to six days in summer indoors and weekly in winter. Baskets dry quickly; water until it runs through the bottom.
It is mildly toxic and the sap can irritate skin and mouths, so keep it out of reach of cats and dogs that chew. Wash your hands after pruning if you have sensitive skin.
In full shade on a covered patio in spring and fall, yes. Direct sun, summer heat above 105°F and any frost damage it, so it comes inside for the extremes.
Cut a stem with a couple of leaf joints, remove the lower leaf, and set it in water or damp potting mix. It roots in a week. This is also how you keep the parent plant full.
Tradescantia live on the houseplant bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.