Purple Heart Purple heart - tradescantia pallida
The purple heart is used as a bedding plant grown for it's ornamental striking purple foliage. This plant is native to Northeast mexico & produces small pink & purple flowers. Another common name for this plant is purple queen.
LIGHT- Bright indirect light is what this plant prefers. Even when planted outside it does best without direct sun as it can cause the leaves to burn. If you notice the vibrant purples fading a little that's a sign your plant may need more light then it's getting.
WATER- Like most tradescantia this plant doesn't like to sit in soggy wet soil. Even though you can water every 1-2 weeks it's best to let the top 1" of soil to dry out before giving it more water. The purple heart is one of the more hardy tradescantia but constant overwatering can lead to root rot.
PRUNING - Like with most plants you can remove any dead or dying leaves at any time. This plant has a fast growth rate which can sometimes lead to it looking leggy but don't worry you can trim off the longer leaves to promote more growth & a fuller plant. Don't throw away the leaves you cut off! Place them into water & wait you'll have roots appear within a week or two. Once they're about an inch long you can plant them into dirt & now you have a new plant.
TOXICITY - The tradescantia Genus is known to be toxic. A common result of eating this plant is skin irritation, rashes & even blisters in some cases. Best to keep out of reach of our furry friends.
*scroll down to see this plants flower*
