Wanted to do an appreciation post for some of my #Tradesc...
Wanted to do an appreciation post for some of my #Tradescantia , in particular some of my #Zebrina varieties!
There are 22 different varieties of Tradescantia zebrina, the most commonly sold being Tradescantia Zebrina 'Violet Hill'. I have 14 in my collection. Here are five others you may not have heard of but are certainly among my favorites:
1. #TradescantiaZebrina 'Multicolor Discolor'
2. Tradescantia zebrina 'Purpusii'
3. Tradescantia zebrina 'Evanesce'
4. Tradescantia zebrina 'Pink Paradise'
5. Tradescantia zebrina 'Happilee'
All my zebrinas are kept under full-spectrum grow lights for 8-10 hours a day, so this is what these varieties look like in "intense light" conditions. They'll look very different in lower or less-intense light (and become harder to distinguish from each other).
Tradescantia are known for being very easy plants to care for and propagate. Most are very fast growers. I never propagate in water—cuttings go directly into soil. When they outgrow their pot, I just cut the whole plant down to the soil and stick the cuttings in a new, bigger pot. For soil, I use cactus soil with perlite and fine-grade orchid bark mixed in.
Do you have any zebrina varieties in your collection? Or other Tradescantia?
#TradescantiaTroupe #HappyPlants #GrowLights #PlantAddict #brunchataudreys #TheThread #TheWateringHole
There are 22 different varieties of Tradescantia zebrina, the most commonly sold being Tradescantia Zebrina 'Violet Hill'. I have 14 in my collection. Here are five others you may not have heard of but are certainly among my favorites:
1. #TradescantiaZebrina 'Multicolor Discolor'
2. Tradescantia zebrina 'Purpusii'
3. Tradescantia zebrina 'Evanesce'
4. Tradescantia zebrina 'Pink Paradise'
5. Tradescantia zebrina 'Happilee'
All my zebrinas are kept under full-spectrum grow lights for 8-10 hours a day, so this is what these varieties look like in "intense light" conditions. They'll look very different in lower or less-intense light (and become harder to distinguish from each other).
Tradescantia are known for being very easy plants to care for and propagate. Most are very fast growers. I never propagate in water—cuttings go directly into soil. When they outgrow their pot, I just cut the whole plant down to the soil and stick the cuttings in a new, bigger pot. For soil, I use cactus soil with perlite and fine-grade orchid bark mixed in.
Do you have any zebrina varieties in your collection? Or other Tradescantia?
#TradescantiaTroupe #HappyPlants #GrowLights #PlantAddict #brunchataudreys #TheThread #TheWateringHole
5” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 day ago
46
Best Answer
@stephonicle wow, I just schooled and I love it! No worries about a long post because every word was extremely valuable to me. So thank you very much!
Okay so the spots. I’ve been going batty trying to figure out what’s wrong with them and come to find out, there’s nothing wrong and just water spots. Also the other 2 plants look just like the purple one so I just posted the one pic.
Now, the reason I put them on a trellis is because they were hanging so far over the pot that they were crowding my other plants. So Ms. SmartyPants here came up with the bright idea 💡 to pin them up. My brains were working overtime on that one huh? 😂
So the real solution is just to put them in a larger pot! I have a pot big enough for all 3 of the purple ones to go into. I’d love to see a big bushy full plant! So yea, the trellis will come down.
The Zebrina, and btw I had no idea that’s what it is, I can also put in a larger pot and wait for it to grow more and put the cuttings into the soil. This Zebrina is a beauty. I’m amazed as to the shine ✨ and glitter it has on it. I’d enjoy seeing it bushy and full as well.
I have all of my plants under grow lights. Unfortunately due to the direction my house faces, the sun that I get is not enough for my plants to grow. What’s amazing is that for the human eye the sun coming in will make you squint, but it’s just not enough useable light for my babies.
I really thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I’ll post pics when I repot them!
#TradescantiaNanouk #plantcare @Sonja
Okay so the spots. I’ve been going batty trying to figure out what’s wrong with them and come to find out, there’s nothing wrong and just water spots. Also the other 2 plants look just like the purple one so I just posted the one pic.
Now, the reason I put them on a trellis is because they were hanging so far over the pot that they were crowding my other plants. So Ms. SmartyPants here came up with the bright idea 💡 to pin them up. My brains were working overtime on that one huh? 😂
So the real solution is just to put them in a larger pot! I have a pot big enough for all 3 of the purple ones to go into. I’d love to see a big bushy full plant! So yea, the trellis will come down.
The Zebrina, and btw I had no idea that’s what it is, I can also put in a larger pot and wait for it to grow more and put the cuttings into the soil. This Zebrina is a beauty. I’m amazed as to the shine ✨ and glitter it has on it. I’d enjoy seeing it bushy and full as well.
I have all of my plants under grow lights. Unfortunately due to the direction my house faces, the sun that I get is not enough for my plants to grow. What’s amazing is that for the human eye the sun coming in will make you squint, but it’s just not enough useable light for my babies.
I really thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I’ll post pics when I repot them!
#TradescantiaNanouk #plantcare @Sonja
Hi @stephonicle it’s been far too long. I had a nanook but she didn’t make it. I do have Z.purpusii that needs up-potting. I have considered putting them in a longer rectangular pot because they seem to look as if they want to grow along the ground.. but 🤷🏽♀️ any suggestions are appreciated.
@Arid_oasis hi Carole! That's funny, I actually just repotted my Nanouk in a long rectangular pot 🤓 If I had the space (and the pots), I'd do the same with all of my tradescantia. They do indeed prefer to grow low and sprawling, which translates to hanging vines when grown in containers. In nature, they rely on breakage so pieces will fall to the ground, put down roots, and start growing as a whole new plant. Considering how quickly they grow, it's no wonder they're able to completely take over areas in no time at all 😛
@stephonicle і ᥴᥲᥒ ᥒ᥆𝗍 kᥱᥱ⍴ 𝗍һᥱm ᥲᥣі᥎ᥱ... s᥆ і'ᥣᥣ ᥣᥱ𝗍 ᥡ᥆ᥙ ძ᥆ sᥙᥴһ ᥲ g᥆᥆ძ ȷ᥆ᑲ! kᥱᥱ⍴ ᥙ⍴ 𝗍һᥱ grᥱᥲ𝗍 ȷ᥆ᑲ!! 𝗍һᥱᥡ ᥣ᥆᥆k һᥱᥲᥣ𝗍һᥡ! 🐞🎨🪴🍄
@stephonicle oh my! Yours are so beautiful! I have theee but not sure of variety. I haven’t tried to add them to the app yet. I hope mine will be as beautiful as yours.
@DrWillGreen yes, I always let them completely dry out. They're like succulents, fairly drought tolerant and will easily rot if left sitting in damp soil. Looks like you have some zebrina and nanouk in that pot 😊
@debbiedo let's see if I can post my reply to you without the app freezing this time 😵💫🤦🏻♀️ Your nanouk looks better than most I see (including mine!), they're SO prone to brown spots. It's virtually impossible to avoid them, but I must say you've done a fantastic job 👍 Your other one might be a reverted Albovittata! It shall reveal itself with more light and time to grow 😉
@Sonja thanks Sonja! If you want to share some pics of yours I can help you with ID! Seems the Greg ID tool only knows generic zebrina and nanouk, I have to manually enter them every single time 😛
@MamaLinne Chop and prop is the name of the game with these guys! 😛 I pretty much constantly cut off pieces and stick them back into the pot until it's super bushy and full, then start over with a new bigger pot. But you'll definitely want to give it better light so it can regrow normally (non-leggy) and so it's lovely colors show 😊
@stephonicle Thanks Steph! I try really hard to not get water on the leaves at all, and I do chop and prop it often 😁
@stephonicle ooh I missed this the other day! I LOVE tradescantia. 🥰 I have probably that most common one but unsure of the name, a lovely Nanouk, and this third one I’ve never known the name but now I’m thinking might be the ‘Pink Paradise?’ What do you think?
@debbiedo it depends on the variety. Zebrinas in particular do well in moderate-intense light. The less light, the less purple and more green. In intense light like mine get, most zebrinas will start getting flushed with darker pink or purple blotches across the tops of leaves. Besides zebrinas, Tradescantia with thicker leaves and stems also do well in intense light (Pale Puma, and 'Red Hill', a darker, fuzzy cultivar in the same species group as Nanouk). Tradescantia pallidas (Purple Heart) become a darker, richer shade of purple in moderate-to-moderately intense light, but if it's TOO intense it can stunt their growth. Then you have the white + green varieties, which can handle moderately intense light for short periods of time (causing some to get flushes of pink on the undersides of leaves), but are also more likely to burn.
Phew, aren't you glad you asked? 😂😜
Phew, aren't you glad you asked? 😂😜
@DreamMachine Oh Nadia, yours look amazing!! 😍 The one in the third photo actually looks more like a Tradescantia zebrina 'Burgundy'. They're one of the fastest growing zebrinas, and compared to 'Pink Paradise' they have much larger/broader leaves. But in intense light, pink paradise *does* develop some darker purple flushing, which can make the coloring look quite similar to 'Burgundy' 🤪 I'll take pics of mine side by side in a little bit ☺️
@stephonicle oh thats so cool!! Lol, I went to my oasis and I HAD identified it as the ‘Burgundy’ 😂😂 Now I really want to ‘Evanescence’ it’s GORGEOUS 😱😱
@Idplantthat Of course! I'd be happy to help you ID your cuttings ☺️ Wow, just realized you have over 800 plants 😳
@stephonicle ha ha ha yes I do. I’ve lost track of how many I have, but like so many of us here, I have a hard time saying I don’t want another plant. I mean it’s almost ludicrous to ask if I want another one. No, I don’t want one. I’d like two, please. 😂🙃 but this is also how I ended up with 9 dogs. 🤦♀️
@Idplantthat I hear ya, I mean what's two or five or ten more plants when you already have 800+? 😛 That's also how I ended up with my four cats (well, five if you count the one I'm rehabbing/fostering in my spare bedroom...eight if you count the feral cats I feed & provide shelter for lol). I was headed down the same path with plants, but when my two kittens joined us in August I knew I was spread too thin. Now, if I didn't live in a city and had a decent size chunk of land, I'd have a thousand plants and run a cat sanctuary 😂😂😂
@stephonicle hi Steph I lost my tradescantia, it’s was turning yellow and I tried to water prop n water 💧 big mistake they just rotted an kicked the bucket. 🪣 this little one is still hanging in there I put in in dirt. My baby (succulent) snake in the background 😊is hanging in there. I think I’m cut this one down and put it back in dirt. What do you think? 🤔.
@Preciousplants1 Hi Sherri! I hope you're hanging in there through your battle with thrips! 😢 Unfortunately your photo didn't show up, maybe trying posting it separately?
@stephonicle lol my apologies I forgot to add it; 😂got bad sinuses so not feeling that great yes this thrip situation is dreadful. I think I’ve killed a couple with the neem n light 😮. I can’t wait to feel safe again and I don’t dare put myself through going to the plant section at the store. Remove all temptation 🙏🏽
@Preciousplants1 looks great Sherri! Nice big leaves 👍 Tradescantia are very susceptible to thrips, so I'm surprised any of them are still alive to be honest 😛 I think it's fine to leave in the 2" pot for now. Once those stems get longer and have maybe 5 or 6 sets of leaves, I'd cut them in half and then stick the pieces right back in the same pot. As long as you let the soil completely dry out and they're getting enough light, they shouldn't rot doing it this way. And it's just SO much easier to poke a hole and stick it in, rather than fiddle with the roots and covering them with soil 😜 When I run out of space in a pot, I just start sticking the pieces in a bigger pot. So if you don't have room left in the 2" pot and wanted to start putting them in a 4" pot, that would be totally fine ❤️
@stephonicle great Steph thanks. I’m surprised 😮 as well lol. But I’m very pleased. Thank you for the info I appreciate it.
I’ll feel better about the thrip in another couple weeks or so, I’m half way through the 6 weeks @SuperbRaspfern said it would take👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. Then I’ll start to rebuild 🥳
I’ll feel better about the thrip in another couple weeks or so, I’m half way through the 6 weeks @SuperbRaspfern said it would take👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. Then I’ll start to rebuild 🥳
@Preciousplants1 I tried a few different treatments before I finally threw my hands up and ordered systemic granules. Now I wish I'd gone that route in the first place! But it's always best to try the least drastic methods first and work your way up. The systemic granules really saved my butt, and my plants! 😛
@stephonicle thank Steph I wish I’d know that because I have 2bottles of the systemic granules. 😱. Oh my! Wow. So I can use that to save the rest of my plant instead of spraying every 3 days with neem?
@stephonicle omg I love it! 🥰 You and I are two leaves of the same plant! 🌱 🫶🏻😜 I love that you take care of those cuties! I grew up with a lot of feral cats. I used to feed them when I was younger. I loved it until my allergies got to the point that I just couldn’t handle it. I still have one cat, Enya, and she’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever met. I don’t think she could be mean if she tried. I’m sure the dead birds and mice would disagree with me. But cats will be cats! 🐈 You are going to post some pics of your cute pride! I would love 💕 to see them!
@Preciousplants1 thank you Sherri ♥️ Watch out for the systemics. Of course you can make your own choices, but Some thrips have become resistant to them and can make your situation worse, thats why Shannon @SuperbRaspfern did not reccomend them to you ♥️
@DreamMachine got ya! I’m still spraying right now. I’ve burned up a peace lily and Chinese evergreen. Had to take a cutting and prop. Lots of work trying to get rid of these bugs and keep them gone. I do know that a flower 🥀 will never enter my house again 🫥
@Preciousplants1 oh my goodness Sherri ME TOO. 😳 I’ll karate chop any flower trying to cross the threshold 😆 I’m so hearted to see you fighting back, I can’t even imagine how exhausting it is. We are going to cheer so hard for you when it’s over. (Heck, I’m cheering hard for you NOW 📣).
Another gregger just unfortunately discovered a bad thrips infestation and I’m trying to help them through. Is it okay if I tag you or your thrips post for them too? ♥️
Another gregger just unfortunately discovered a bad thrips infestation and I’m trying to help them through. Is it okay if I tag you or your thrips post for them too? ♥️
@DreamMachine I agree on the systemics, I only went that route after trying every other option to no avail. I wouldn't recommend anyone going straight to them, for a number of reasons. It was primarily my trads & callisias that were affected, probably because I keep most under grow lights and all huddled together. Trads are VERY susceptible to thrips. It worked out well for me in the end, thank goodness, but it's not a choice to make lightly 💚
@Idplantthat aww, I'd love to share pics of my "pride" 😛🌈 There's my oldest Kiki, he's 7. Then Smokey, who was a stray-turned-indoor, he's around 3-5. Then brothers Banksy & Ollie, who turn one next month! Then Trixie is my most recent TNR, but she's not feral. She's been recovering in my spare room after spay surgery. She's a sweetie, hoping I can find someone to adopt her. I would totally keep her but at four indoor cats, I'm maxed out lol 🤪
@stephonicle well said! 👏 Also to both you Steph and Rachel @Idplantthat , make that three leaves of the same plant. It’s why I have 5 cats 😂 Used to have 6, but my old Maine coon passed a couple years ago 😢 Love seeing your kitties Steph ♥️ I love the grey fluffy brothers, Banksy and Ollie! I used to have a pair of brothers when I was a kid at my parents house. They both had tuxedo colorings, but one was grey and fluffy like them and the other was sleek short haired and black. Scat & Jazz ♥️ 🐈⬛
@DreamMachine Hurray for cat moms!! 😻 They are indeed the fluffy brothers! I love it, it's so cute...but man do they need a LOT of grooming to avoid mats! I've only ever had short hair cats so that was new to me lol. They're the best boys ever, it's so neat having a bonded pair.
@stephonicle @Idplantthat oh my goodness yes they do 😅 Having siblings is really the best 🥰 I love when they nap like a furry kitty yin-yang symbol.
I’m very lucky to have experienced that twice. Currently I have a pair of brothers, (Emerson Tater Sauce and Del the Funky Feline) AND their sister (Miss Lady Luna Asparagus) AND their mom (Faerie Moth). We rescued Moth before she was a mom, and even though I was very [slightly neurotically] obsessive about keeping her inside when she went into heat, while we were on a reduced cost spay waiting list 🙈 my husband forgot one night and opened the front door without checking where she was. 🫠🫠 One brief night of forbidden love and we had kittens a couple months later.
Then it turned out to be my husband who refused to let them be adopted them out. 🥲 Then of course we had to get FOUR kitties surgeries 😆
And we have an older unrelated ex-guard kitty Jerry Catcia (actually she’s still a guard kitty, but living more of the retired life.) She still makes dogs cower in fear 😅
Can you tell which kitties were named with a 5 year old human’s help, and which were named by the dead-head, jam band musically inclined spouse? 😅
I always thought I would have a herd of cats that were all different colors of the rainbow, like we had when I was growing up…but turns out we just have 5 black and white short haired tuxedo cats 🤣
I’m very lucky to have experienced that twice. Currently I have a pair of brothers, (Emerson Tater Sauce and Del the Funky Feline) AND their sister (Miss Lady Luna Asparagus) AND their mom (Faerie Moth). We rescued Moth before she was a mom, and even though I was very [slightly neurotically] obsessive about keeping her inside when she went into heat, while we were on a reduced cost spay waiting list 🙈 my husband forgot one night and opened the front door without checking where she was. 🫠🫠 One brief night of forbidden love and we had kittens a couple months later.
Then it turned out to be my husband who refused to let them be adopted them out. 🥲 Then of course we had to get FOUR kitties surgeries 😆
And we have an older unrelated ex-guard kitty Jerry Catcia (actually she’s still a guard kitty, but living more of the retired life.) She still makes dogs cower in fear 😅
Can you tell which kitties were named with a 5 year old human’s help, and which were named by the dead-head, jam band musically inclined spouse? 😅
I always thought I would have a herd of cats that were all different colors of the rainbow, like we had when I was growing up…but turns out we just have 5 black and white short haired tuxedo cats 🤣
@stephonicle here is a pic of mine. I have 4 of these and they all look the same with dark brown spots on them. The only one that looks good is the golden one. I’ve moved them around thinking too much light but they still keep browning. I water about every 6 to 8 days depending on the soil.
What’s wrong with my babies? 👶 😢
#TradescantiaNanouk @Sonja
What’s wrong with my babies? 👶 😢
#TradescantiaNanouk @Sonja
@Sonja hey Sonja! So for starters, don't feel bad about your Nanouk having brown spots—literally every Nanouk I've ever seen has at least some! For whatever reason, it's impossible to avoid them on this particular variety. The cause of the brown spots is typically one thing: water sitting on the leaves. If you notice any leaves get wet when you water, dab it off with a paper towel or clean towel. The reason outdoor-grown tradescantia don't get brown spots when their leaves get wet is because of airflow. Our indoor plants simply don't have the benefit of great airflow like outside plants. This can be partially remedied by adding a few small fans (they're called "stroller fans" on Amazon). Position at least one fan on other side of the plants blowing toward each other for maximum cross ventilation.
For your zebrina varieties (your photo only shows a the Nanouk and a zebrina, most likely a zebrina 'Violet Hill'—did you mean to share another photo with the other two?), there's really no such thing as too much light for them. Ok, I mean sure there IS lol, but it would be something like 8+ hours of direct sun. When zebrina don't get enough light, they start to lose their purple coloring and revert to green. Wherever the brightest spot with the most hours of direct sun is in your house, that's where your zebrina varieties will be happiest 😊
All varieties like to completely dry out between waterings. They're like succulents in that they're drought tolerant and can go a while without water, especially ones like Nanouk with thicker leaves (the thicker the leaf, the more water it can store). The ideal set up is the one that helps the soil dry out the fastest. You'll hardly ever see a tradescantia get root rot if it's getting enough direct light, because the light plays such a big role in helping the soil dry out quickly.
In their native environment, tradescantia are sprawling growers that continually put down new roots. This growth habit is why they end up trailing out of hanging baskets—they're searching for more ground to put down roots. The more rooted points a plant has, the more healthy and robust its growth will be. That's why they do best in pots that are wider than they are tall. If you prefer growing them on a trellis, you do you! 😜 But they're not natural "climbers", so attaching them to support structures won't yield the best results. Personally, I'd suggest doing away with the support pole and trellis and just letting them do their thing. It's ok for stems to touch the soil, but you might want to remove any leaves from the portion of stem touching soil so they don't rot. The nodes touching the soil will then grow roots and provide a better foundation for the plant overall.
Ok, last thing, I promise! 😂 The way to get your tradescantia to grow nice and bushy is to constantly pinch off the tips of stems. This helps them branch out and become nice and full, instead of just a few scraggly vines. Zebrina in particular are voracious growers, so new growth will appear very quickly wherever you pinch off tips. You can use scissors or pruners, but I just use my fingernails! Pinch off just above a node/set of leaves. When the stems grow longer and have at least 5-6 sets of leaves, that's when I start taking cuttings and putting them right back into the soil of the same pot (or a new pot to give away or add to your plant collection!). Chopping and propping along with pinching tips will get you an incredibly full pot overflowing with beautiful growth in no time at all ☺️
Sorry for the crazy long response! When I'm talking about tradescantia I kind of veer off into full geek-out mode lol 😂 Let me know if you have any questions! 💚
For your zebrina varieties (your photo only shows a the Nanouk and a zebrina, most likely a zebrina 'Violet Hill'—did you mean to share another photo with the other two?), there's really no such thing as too much light for them. Ok, I mean sure there IS lol, but it would be something like 8+ hours of direct sun. When zebrina don't get enough light, they start to lose their purple coloring and revert to green. Wherever the brightest spot with the most hours of direct sun is in your house, that's where your zebrina varieties will be happiest 😊
All varieties like to completely dry out between waterings. They're like succulents in that they're drought tolerant and can go a while without water, especially ones like Nanouk with thicker leaves (the thicker the leaf, the more water it can store). The ideal set up is the one that helps the soil dry out the fastest. You'll hardly ever see a tradescantia get root rot if it's getting enough direct light, because the light plays such a big role in helping the soil dry out quickly.
In their native environment, tradescantia are sprawling growers that continually put down new roots. This growth habit is why they end up trailing out of hanging baskets—they're searching for more ground to put down roots. The more rooted points a plant has, the more healthy and robust its growth will be. That's why they do best in pots that are wider than they are tall. If you prefer growing them on a trellis, you do you! 😜 But they're not natural "climbers", so attaching them to support structures won't yield the best results. Personally, I'd suggest doing away with the support pole and trellis and just letting them do their thing. It's ok for stems to touch the soil, but you might want to remove any leaves from the portion of stem touching soil so they don't rot. The nodes touching the soil will then grow roots and provide a better foundation for the plant overall.
Ok, last thing, I promise! 😂 The way to get your tradescantia to grow nice and bushy is to constantly pinch off the tips of stems. This helps them branch out and become nice and full, instead of just a few scraggly vines. Zebrina in particular are voracious growers, so new growth will appear very quickly wherever you pinch off tips. You can use scissors or pruners, but I just use my fingernails! Pinch off just above a node/set of leaves. When the stems grow longer and have at least 5-6 sets of leaves, that's when I start taking cuttings and putting them right back into the soil of the same pot (or a new pot to give away or add to your plant collection!). Chopping and propping along with pinching tips will get you an incredibly full pot overflowing with beautiful growth in no time at all ☺️
Sorry for the crazy long response! When I'm talking about tradescantia I kind of veer off into full geek-out mode lol 😂 Let me know if you have any questions! 💚