Tradescantia zebrina / ‘Inch Plant’

Tradescantia zebrina / ‘Inch Plant’

Full and rich – those are the first words that jump to mind when you come face to face with a Tradescantia. This hanging plant grows vigorously and quirkily, with zig-zagging stems and spear-shaped leaves with a hint of pink or purple, silver or gold. To the touch, their leaves feel just the way you’d expect them to: juicy and surprisingly soft. The flowers are indigo, white or pink, but the beauty of this houseplant lies in the colourful leaves that can range from smart green to psychedelic purple in one plant. 

Tradescantia, also known as the inch plant, and is native to North and South America. There are around 60 species, of which most are hanging plants, although there are also a few that grow upwards. Although it’s not a succulent, the stems are able to store a fair amount of water. That makes Tradescantia quite forgiving if you forget to water it from time to time.

*Pot size varied. Toxic to pets.*

Did you know?

The plant was named after John Tradescant Senior, a gardener employed by the English King Charles I, by his son John Junior, a botanist and explorer. The plant became a hit in the courts of Europe around 1662 and was found to be so easy to propagate that it is one of the few early houseplants that soon appeared in ‘ordinary’ living rooms as well.

Watering

Lighting

She’ll be ok in medium light, but she’ll be really happy in quite a sunny spot. She’s not one for shade.

Note: When purchasing plants please consider that each live item is unique and may therefore differ from the images shown, which are for illustration purposes only. Depending on season, some plants may be pruned back to encourage growth and deciduous plants may arrive without leaves. Collections or ‘mixed’ listings for plants will be selected dependent on availability and carefully hand-picked to ensure their quality.

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