Moses-in-the-Cradle
4.5 out of 5 (52 experiences)
About Moses-in-the-Cradle
Tradescantia spathacea, also known as the White Velvet plant, is an exceptionally easy plant to care for and rewards growers with delightful purple blossoms. They are extremely easy to propagate by stem and one plant can give rise to dozens of new ones, which makes them great for sharing. 🤝 As houseplants they often trail, but will also creep along the ground if grown outdoors. Their succulent leaves make them sensitive to frost, so be sure to bring them indoors if your winter temperatures dip below freezing. ❄️
Taxonomy
Tradescantia spathacea
Tradescantia
Commelinaceae
Commelinales
Also known as
Boatlily, Tradescantia Silver and 'Oyster Plant'
How to care for Moses-in-the-Cradle
How often to water your Moses-in-the-Cradle
Moses-in-the-Cradle needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Finding light for Moses-in-the-Cradle in your home
Moses-in-the-Cradle may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Moses-in-the-Cradle in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Moses-in-the-Cradle
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Moses-in-the-Cradle after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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I’m having Moses drama again 😅 I just watered him about 20 minutes ago, but suspected that there was root rot as a few more of the leaves are starting to brown. Many people suggested that it’s still a healthy plant as it’s growing new leaves and that this could just be part of a regeneration cycle, but I wanted to get a good look at the root to rule it out. I attached a photo of the roots after I dusted off the dirt, can anyone let me know if these roots are healthy or not? Greg says the roots should be white and firm, there’s definitely no white roots here. 😅 & when I do re-plant (if it’s healthy enough), where on my tape measure should the dirt stop? #mosesinthecradle
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What am I doing wrong with my plant? It just continues to get worse. Each leaf just slowly dies. This was a Christmas gift and I really want it to survive. #MosesInTheCradle
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Does everyone let these fall over when they grow or do they need a little stick to stay upright? #MosesInTheCradle
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Help. I came back from Thanksgiving and my boat Lily send to be dying? Did I over water? #MosesInTheCradle
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Why have his roots gone fuzzy yellow :( I’ve had this cutting in water for a month now, I regularly change and wash out the glass and water, but recently it’s started getting yellow fuzzy stuff in the roots, is this root rot, what should I do to save it if so as it’s on the main roots? Thanks in advance 🙏☀️ #Propagation #PropagationStation #PropDontShop #CuttingsClub #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #RootRot #RootPorn #PlantTherapy #NewPlantMom #PlantCorner #PlantShelfie #OutdoorGrowing
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It keeps losing bottom leaves. #MosesInTheCradle
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Hey guys, I need some advice about Mosie. I repotted her into a bigger pot and she’s gone limp. Has this happened to anyone? I’m hoping to restore her. Any advice is appreciated 🤞 #MosesInTheCradle
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So should I cut mine down? #MosesInTheCradle
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Can someone please help with a name for this one. Its leaves are spiked. Thank you ☘️
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What do I do about these brown spots? The plant is otherwise doing well and growing like crazy.
Care Summary for Moses-in-the-Cradle
Moses-in-the-Cradle
Greg recommends:
0.5 cups every 9 days
< 3ft from a window
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
I bought this guy for the purple leaves. It was one lil stick with a few leaves nothing too exciting. I stuck it in my big window facing South. I kinda forgot to pay attention and watered it every other Monday with my other plants. Now it’s got 3 stocks with leaves galore! He went crazy and I didn’t notice!
From my experience I keep it watered about every 14 days. My apartment is rather humid even though I live in the desert. He gets direct sunshine about an hour at the very most and hangs it in the window seal. I think he is fabulous.
I got this plant as a “rescue”. She is quite fussy. She only likes the west facing window, with bright, indirect sunlight. Minimal watering- I wait until the soil is nearly dry. Initially, all of her leaves browned and died. But since I put her in the west facing window and mostly ignored her, she has been thriving.