Purple Heart
4.7 out of 5 (82 experiences)
Fast grower
Survivor
About Purple Heart
Tradescantia pallida, also known as the purple heart plant, is an exceptionally easy plant to care for and rewards growers with delightful purple blossoms. Their small flowers are heart shaped, which gives them their name. 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 pallida
Tradescantia
Commelinaceae
Commelinales
Also known as
Setcreasea pallida 'Purple Heart', Purple Fuzz, 'Blue Sue', Purple Fuzzy, Blue Sue and Green Moon
How to care for Purple Heart
How often to water your Purple Heart
every 9
Purple Heart 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 Purple Heart in your home
a window
Purple Heart 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 Purple Heart in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Purple Heart
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 Purple Heart after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
-
This guy has been very droopy and a lot of leaves are turning crunchy and falling off, any idea what she needs or is it just the winter transition?
-
Support or prune the branches? Hollo! The branches of My Purple Heart have been breaking. This one makes three this week, all about the same size and weight. I'd heard I could let them grow like a curtain, but I don't know if that's the case with this one. Should I prune it? Since it's grown so much, it has less volume than before up top, and I don't want to lose it all. Is there any kind of support for this?
-
Support or prune the branches? Hello! The branches of My Purple Heart have been breaking. This one makes three this week, all about the same size and weight. I'd heard I could let them grow like a curtain, but I don't know if that's the case with this one. Should I prune it? Since it's grown so much, it has less volume than before up top, and I don't want to lose it all. Is there any kind of support for this? #PurpleHeart
-
Does it grow better when pot bound? #PurpleHeart
-
My friend gave me this clipping of a “Purple Heart” I named her Eva. I’m a new plant mom. She is my 5th plant baby! Any tips would be much appreciated! I have yet to transfer her into a new pot because I don’t know if she’s rooted yet.
-
THIS HOUSE IS PROTECTED BY THE LORD & Pesticides! 🕷️🦟🔫✝️🐸☕️ Jesus, only you can help me make the plants clean again, GIVE ME THE STRENGHT AND RESILIENCE MY LORD! Lobotomy lost her pony tail yesterday while entering ICU. Very sad we are grieving and hoping she will make a full recovery and her hair grows back. As for these bugs, I’m supported I feel ready! Now, today is phase one of operation SMOKE IN THE POTTERS aka death of all thrips. I will be using a spray pesticide (same brand at the insecticidal soap) and this does worry me mainly for my cats, and water supply so I will be coming down with the most NON cross contaminating way of doing this… without harming myself, the cats and the wildlife/environment. This being said, dearest Greg community , please share with me any advice on how to use the spray pesticides without causing the early return of Jesus/apocalypse . 🕷️🐜🦟🔫🐸☕️ Me to the bugs https:// #operationsmokerinthepotters #thrips #thripsbegone #louisxvioasis #lobotomythegreatupdates #prayforlobotomy #jesusisking
-
Lobotomy Update 🐸☕️ Hello Friends , Lobotmy today could make a girl cry. 🥲✨ Look are her, growing out of her bad hair day like it’s no one business. Lobotmy soon will be able to leave her inpatient treatment AKA the grow table and finally meet her new home, the kitchen macrame!🪴🌱🤓 Ain’t no Bad days for Lobotmy 💅🏻💕 #louisxvioasis #lobotomythegreat #lobotomythegreatupdates #PurpleHeart #purpleheartplant
-
Lobotomy Update 🐸☕️ Hello, I missed the Lobotomy the Great update yesterday, forgive me I’m on day 2 of 3 day colour correction! (I’m a hair stylist!) this being said, Lobotmy also got a hair cut! All the cuts I made slowly dried out and just kinda slpit off at the node, now she looks so much better with her new hair cut! 💇🏻♀️ How does this plant keep looking better and better every 12 hours I check on it! 🥲 Go Lobotomy Go! 🌱💚 #lobotomythegreatupdates #lobotomythegreat #PurpleHeart #purpleheartplant
-
Lobotomy update 🐸☕️ OKURRR GIRL WURK that new growth! 💅🏻🌱 Lobotomy wanted to start the day with JAZZ HANDS , I’m about it. Team Lobotomy! #lobotomythegreat #lobotomythegreatupdates #louisxvioasis #PurpleHeart #purpleheartplant
-
Ohh my Dear Lobotomy 🤣 She wasn’t reacting properly to our usual plant health treatment so we had to go full blown lobotomy on this girl, hence her name. She is the original plant I decapitated lol, and she is so happy in her new soil with her clean roots, she is growing so much EVERYDAY 🤍🥲 goo Lobotomy goo! 🎉 #lobotomythegreat #louisxvioasis #PurpleHeart #purpleheartplant #lobotomythegreatupdates
Care Summary for Purple Heart
Purple Heart
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 3ft from a window
Nutrients
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
Fast grower 57
Survivor 49
Easy to propagate 48
Large, lush leaves 17
Blooms easily 15
Browns easily 10
Pest magnet 1
09/02/2021
Like any tradescantia these are basically gonna thrive the minute you keep them hydrated and in partial sun. I started this monster of a plant in May from a cutting (with one tiny sad stem) and since then I already had to repot twice. Since May. Now I’m not allowing it to grow anymore, let see what winter brings.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
08/19/2021
One of my Mom’s favorites, very easy to grow in containers or garden
Fast grower
Blooms easily
08/03/2021
Pretty low maintenance plant, as I think most are in this family. I’ve personally had a hard time keeping its purple coloring- despite it getting pretty bright light. It seems happy enough nonetheless, and has grown quite a bit from the little plug it started from.
Fast grower
07/14/2021
they grow fast in the right conditions!!
Fast grower
Survivor
07/09/2021
Very easy to grow, just plot it in the dirt!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Survivor
07/06/2021
Another challenging plant to keep healthy indoors at least for me.
Survivor
07/05/2021
Idk what happened but my plant started off purple and changed to a more green color but I do have it closer to my window but it has been growing very fast but the purple variegation died off
Fast grower
Browns easily
06/30/2021
The pink and white leaves are beautiful!
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
Easy to propagate
Fast grower
06/19/2021
This is a great plant for hanging or climbing. If you give it more shade or it gets root bound it will turn green. It grows quickly so keep an eye on the roots. If it gets rooted just give it a larger pot. Works very well outside as a planter cover as well. Vibrant beautiful purple leaves and stems with lavender flowers.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Blooms easily
Survivor
06/18/2021
Honestly, this is one of the easiest plants I’ve ever had. I received a cutting from a friend and two weeks later there was roots all over and new growth. It’s a beautiful color as well.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/15/2021
This was a cutting from the state capitol. Dies back in the winter, so I brought it in the house and it is doing fantastic. My daughter broke a piece off and this is the broken piece.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/11/2021
these guys break super easily, but it’s easy to root the broken limbs into new plants
Easy to propagate
06/11/2021
I just love this plant for its vibrant pink leaves.
Easy to propagate
06/10/2021
I should name her survivor! I dropped her and broken almost every piece of it off. She’s coming back with a vengeance. You go girl!
Survivor
Fast grower
06/06/2021
didnt realise this until today but purple hearts can even flower! they’re the ideal plant for over wateres and generally a great survivor under any conditions! my fave plant
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/03/2021
It has been a joy to see the purples and greens mess and how it bring so much color to my room.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
05/26/2021
lov
Easy to propagate
Fast grower
Survivor
05/19/2021
Super pretty ☹️ i just love it
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Survivor
05/18/2021
This plant is a SURVIVOR in my house hold. The amount of times I have thought I had killed to plant, or my cats had... it always comes back! I finally moved into a place where it will not be burnt to a crisp and up and away from cats!
Survivor
05/15/2021
Beautiful fast growth. Propagate by cutting and placing directly in dirt... super fast grower!
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Blooms easily
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
Trending in your area
Similar to Purple Heart
✨ Discover rare plants
Royal Flush Split Rock
Begonia hydrocotylifo…
Betel
Hoya kalimantan
Anastasia Weeping Fig
Munstead Lavender
Pink Ruby Sedevaria
Parrot Pitcher Plant
Miss All-American Bea…
Chinese Evergreen 'Ga…
Philodendron eximium
Hoya pottsii 'Khao Ya…
Rosularia platyphylla
White Apple Moth Orch…
Sedeveria 'Blue Elf'
Scindapsus pictus 'Si…
Tillandsia caerulea A…
