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Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'

Also Known As

Setcreasea pallida
Setcreasea pallida 'Purple Heart'
Setcreasea purpurea
Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'
Purple Heart Spiderwort

Plant type

perennial, groundcover, vine

size

H: 8"-12"
W: 12"-24"

planting zones

8a-10b

More Options

Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' plant details

Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' is a broadleaf semi-evergreen perennial groundcover vine with purple foliage. In fall, spring and summer pink flowers emerge. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - regular water. Prefers to be dry in winter. Does well in average and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'

Plant type: perennial groundcover vine
Plant family: commelinaceae
Foliage: semi-evergreen purple
Mature size: 12 IN - 24 IN - wide, 8 IN - 12 IN - tall
Flowers: pink blooms in fall, spring and summer
Uses: container plant, floriferous, houseplant, rock garden, showy, year round interest

GROWING CONDITIONS for Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'

USDA Zones: 8a - 10b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

'Purple Heart' is a trailing perennial with purple stems, violet-purple leaves and pink flowers. Thought of as an annual, this spiderwort is potentially hardy to one zone colder than coastal BC. It is excellent as a groundcover or in containers or hanging baskets.

By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

Tender perennial with tumbling stems wrapped in showy, fuzzy purple foliage...fabulous spilling from pots, contrasty filler in borders, 10-18” tall and 18-24”wide. Easy to overwinter as a houseplant. Enjoys rich, moist, well-drained soil and takes sun to part shade. Easy from cuttings, pinch as needed. Love this paired with chartreuse foliage!

By: Secret Garden Growers

Bold textured tradescantia from the mountains of Mexico -- to 12 to 18" high and wide -- with narrowly oval leaves, slightly felted and a deep rose-purple. Lighter rose-purple flowers appear on the tops of the stems, year round in container or out of frost, or from early summer on where plants are killed to the ground yearly. This one is a clumper not a spreader! Long used as container plants, it is also a must-have in richly colored garden where well-drained and watered soil can be provided and crowns do not freeze deeply. Can be reproduced yearly by emergency cuttings taken in fall, making sure to get a branched stem rather than one with only flower buds. Bright light to dappled shade. Frost hardy in USDA zone 7 with mulch and good drainage; otherwise zone 8.

By: Cistus Nursery

Purpleheart. This Tradescantia needs more outdoor trialing in our area. Tony Avent gives it a 7b Zone but we're doubtful Well worth trying in that mild garden or microclimate and at worst it can be a house plant at least until you have enough to experiment. Pink flowers and moist.

By: Far Reaches Farm

Large, pointed, narrow oblong leaves, 3-6 in. Bears small pink flowers in the summer. Leaves color best in bright sun light when root zone is slightly dry.

By: Almost Eden

Setcreasea purpurea has intense purple lance shaped leaves covered with pubescence of pale hair..producing orchid-lilac flowers at the tips

By: Accents for Home and Garden

Velvet purple 3-4' slender leaves with occasional lavender-pink flowers held in the leaf axils. A nice foliage accent for mixed containers, or as a ground cover where it is hardy.

By: Avant Gardens

Purple leaves, pink flowers, hardy ground cover or container plant.

By: Rare Plant Research

Garden photo gallery of Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'

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By: Rare Plant Research

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Photo of Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' flower by sigusr0

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By: sigusr0

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Far South Wholesale Nursery

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By: Far South Wholesale Nursery

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Photo of Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' foliage by Almost Eden

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By: Almost Eden

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Gardening facts about Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' plant

How to Grow Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'

Sun Exposure
- sun - mostly shade
Water Needs
- even moisture - regular
Water Needs
- dry in winter
Soil Needs
- average
- well-drained
Special Situation
- verticillium wilt resistant

Features

Foliage Color
- purple
Flower Color
- pink
Flower Season
- fall
- summer
- spring
Foliage Season
- semi-evergreen

Landscape groups by tags

See other plant types of Tradescantia for your garden

Tradescantia sillamontana

aka Tradescantia sillamontana 'White Velvet', Cobweb Spiderwort, White Gossamer, White Velvet, White Velvet Gossamer Plant, White Velvet Tradescantia

Plant Type

Perennial, Groundcover

Zones

9a-12

Size

Height: 6"-12"

Width: 12"-18"

sun - mostly shade
regular - drought tolerant

Photo of Tradescantia sillamontana flower by plant lust

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Tradescantia fluminensis 'Maiden's Blush'

aka Tradescantia 'Blushing Bride', Tradescantia 'First Blush', Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush', Tradescantia x andersoniana 'Blushing Bride', Blushing Bride Lady's Tears, Blushing Bride Virginia Spiderwort, Maiden's Blush Spiderwort