Small-Leaf Spiderwort
4.7 out of 5 (114 experiences)
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
About Small-Leaf Spiderwort
Tradescantia fluminensis is an exceptionally easy plant to care for and rewards growers with delightful white 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 fluminensis
Tradescantia
Commelinaceae
Commelinales
Also known as
Inch Plant, Tradescantia tricolour, Quicksilver, White Stripe, Viridis, Small Leaf Spiderwort and Inch-Plant green
How to care for Small-Leaf Spiderwort
How often to water your Small-Leaf Spiderwort
every 9
Small-Leaf Spiderwort 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 Small-Leaf Spiderwort in your home
a window
Small-Leaf Spiderwort 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 Small-Leaf Spiderwort in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Small-Leaf Spiderwort
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 Small-Leaf Spiderwort after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Why does my jade plant have white sparkles all over it? Like a bad moisturizer with white tint and sparkles? And it's everywhere but not on other plants. #Crassula
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This is a new type of indoor plant for me. I've had her almost a year. Got it from my local greenery as a baby. Do you think she looks ok? Is there any way I can get her fuller in the middle? #SmallLeafSpiderwort
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Just found a photo of when I got her back in may… look at her now!! ❤️ #HappyPlants #BeforeAndAfter #PlantsMakePeopleHappy
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I just picked this up from the store, I was able to prune it and get it watered. Is there anything else I need to do? I've got it under a plant light at work. #SmallLeafSpiderwort
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Will my plant thrive on top of my fridge? #SmallLeafSpiderwort
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Spots on my small leaf spiderwort! Hello community! I'm a very new mom to indoor plants so I'm trying very hard to learn as much as I can to have happy healthy plants! My small leaf spiderwort is my most temperamental plant child yet lol. First she got a sunburn from too much light and I think I found her a more accommodating spot but she also had fungus gnats so I reported and treated with diluted peroxide. Could these spots be injury from the gnats or the peroxide itself? Thank you all in advance!
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Dead leaves Why is my spiderwort unhappy? Leaves in the middle keep dieing and some stem like to stick up and be happy, while others droop and look sad. Any recommendations or advice? This is my first spiderwort plant! #Spiderwort #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #Question #Dyingplant #leavesdropping
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Recently found root rot in my spiderwort plant and I repotted it today after rinsing the roots and spraying hydrogen peroxide on them. But she is drooping over now. Is this normal? Is there something I can do to help her stand up more? #SmallLeafSpiderwort
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How to save my plant ? She was thriving and growing a lot and I stopped misting and watering her because I wasn’t home for awhile. I tried to save her by repotting and removing dead leaves/ stems. Any tips?
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Is this diva behavior or do I need to water more frequently? Hi, I'm new to plants, and thus guy caught my eye in the store. I stupidly fell for the easy care label, and am now trying my best for this finicky lady. She's still in her nursery pot (1.5 inches) I had to bring her home from work recently because she needs some tlc. Any insight on what I need to do for this beauty is much appreciated! #spiderwort
Care Summary for Small-Leaf Spiderwort
Small-Leaf Spiderwort
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 87
Easy to propagate 65
Survivor 54
Browns easily 24
Blooms easily 23
Large, lush leaves 20
Pest magnet 5
03/22/2022
Pretty to look at. Can flower if right conditions. Such colorful foliage!
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
01/13/2022
These things grow like crazy! My first one didn’t turn out as well as this one. They are really pretty to hang on a shelf.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
12/19/2021
The small-leaf spiderwort was one of my first plants in my “collection” and it was an EASY way to start. I picked it up at Lowes thinking it would be a good indoor hanging plant. Before I knew much about watering schedules and the importance of repotting, this poor little plant was surviving in the worst conditions. I watered it way too much, and it had super old, crummy soil with a plastic pot and no drainage. Eventually, I repotted it in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole and fresh soil and figured out a good watering schedule; my small-leaf DRASTICALLY improved after that. Not that it wasn’t doing well before, but it really grew after that. I’ve propagated it dozens of times and it doesn’t matter where or how you cut it. 10/10 plant for beginners.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
11/28/2021
Very fast grower. Pretty easy to take care of, doesn’t really need anything special.
Fast grower
11/15/2021
It’s an ok plant but mine also got fungus. On the plus it is still alive.
Browns easily
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
08/21/2021
Love love love this plant! She grows super fast in my east facing window, doesn’t like direct sun and will burn her leaves. However, super chill plant that is easy to care for. And beautiful to look at! Serves best in a hanging planter.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Pest magnet
Browns easily
08/10/2021
Love love love this plant! Grows so fast and is very beautiful
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
08/03/2021
This one was a random Trader Joe’s find about a year ago. I had been hoping to stumble upon this one somewhere as the PINK is lovely, and I got luckily.
It’s been a tremendous grower- probably double in length since I’ve picked it up. It isn’t fussy- I haven’t even repotted it yet so it’s sitting in whatever soil it was in at TJ’s. Has done really well in two locations close to a window, but getting filtered/indirect light.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
07/29/2021
Beautiful but browns often and easily
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
Browns easily
07/21/2021
This plant does well in sunlight. And shade. First year having it. Works well so far.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
07/18/2021
I love this plant and have gifted cuttings to friends in new pots throughout the years. This plant is so easy to propagate and keep. Trim up the defy vine like stems and put your cuttings in soil. In a week or two you’ll have a fully rooted and growing plant.
I will say it can me leggy and the leaves can get brown near the soil, BUT this is easy to fix with more sun. I’ve found that the brown leaves or leggy situation can be avoided with proper sunlight and rotation.
The great thing about this plant is, if it does not look the way you want, you can literally start a whole new one by cutting off healthy parts. After you do that you can uproot unhealthy plant, the. stick the cut stems in the soil to create a new plant!
Easy to propagate
Survivor
Fast grower
07/16/2021
I love this plant because it is easy to take care of and is gorgeous
07/11/2021
Alive and well!!!
Fast grower
Survivor
06/28/2021
Sensitive to direct light
06/22/2021
Love the variegated leaves with purple hue. Super easy plant that is easy to care for and doesn’t mind being neglected a bit.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/21/2021
super easy!! and it’s so pretty
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/18/2021
Grew so quickly, all I do to propagate it is put it in a shot glass full of water and kept topping it off :) grew roots within a few days
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/12/2021
So so easy to propagate! Just snip off below a node and place in water making sure the node(s) are fully in the water, within a few days roots will start to grow. I change the water every 5 days until they have enough roots to pot into soil and a clean pot ☺️
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Blooms easily
06/06/2021
Super fast grower and very easy to propagate
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
06/06/2021
Needs sun!
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
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