Grow Purple Heart Plant (Tradescantia Pallida) easily from Cuttings

With the common names of Purple Queen plant, Purple Secretia, and Purple Heart plant, this plant is famous for its three-petal flowers. These common names are due to the radiant colors of its flowers such as pink and purple are mostly found in the species.

The plant Tradescantia Pallida belongs to the genus Tradescantia (commonly known as genus spiderwort) having almost 80 beautiful plant species. This genus majorly includes perennial and evergreen ornamental flowering plants. The Western Hemisphere of the globe mostly Europe is the native region for spiderwort plants.

Leaves are thought and pointed at the end and a bit folded end is seen from an originating point on the stalk. The leaves are gray-green, alternate, and have lines. Purple Heart grows best in all-season but severe winters might prove fatal for the species.

This can be planted in beds, as a cover plant on bare grounds of gardens, and as a hanging plant as well. The winter season makes it a house-grown ornamental plant because it cannot survive snowy winters.

The genus spiderwort is also associated with a natural remediation process termed phytoremediation because it can filter and absorb harmful volatile compounds generally organic compounds with a low molecular weight^[1]Santos, A.P.M., et al., Traffic-related air pollution biomonitoring with Tradescantia pallida (Rose) Hunt. cv. purpurea Boom in Brazil. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2015. 187(2): p. 1-10. … Continue reading.

The perennial creeping plant may grow up to 16 inches. An interesting fact about the foliage of Purple Herat is that it will grow with a lush green color if kept away from direct sunlight while its leaves will appear more purple than green in the sunlight. So, sunlight can help us to get the desired color either purple or green^[2]Chimpan, C. and M. Sipos, Anatomy of the vegetative organs of Tradescantia pallida purpurea. Biharean Biologist, 2009. 3(1): p. 1-4. Read.

Propagation

Division by stem-cutting

Seed cultivation has not been commonly observed due to the slow germination of seeds. In stem cutting for the division propagation method, the 2 to 5-inch newly grown stem tip is removed with the assistance of sterile and sharp shears. The cutting is kept in a pot consisting of nutrient-rich soil with mulch, compost, and peat moss.

The soil must be porous in the pot. The pot should have small holes at the bottom end of the pot to make it well-drained. A depression is created to put that cutting into the pot. Direct prolonged sunlight is avoided for the newly transplanted stem cutting. Roots will emerge within 15 days followed by shoot development.

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Pinching is done to remove the old buds which will help in faster regrowth of new buds. Pinching also helps in the removal of extra branches. The stem cutting or stem division is the most suitable method for the propagation of the Purple Heart plant.

These stem cutting can also show growth when kept in water containers. That transparent water container is filled with water which will cover the lower one-third of the stem cutting. The plant in water containers and pots are mainly used as indoor plants^[3]Scaramuzzi, F., G. Apollonio, and S. D’Emerico, In vitro propagation of two species of Commelinaceae from bud cultures and repeated subcultures on a growth regulator-free medium. In Vitro … Continue reading.

Care of Purple Heart

1. The plantlets are avoided from direct and bright sunlight in the summer season and kept indoors in the winter season so that they will remain alive. Avoid stem burning from sunlight.
2. Moist and well-drained but moist soil is preferred for the potting or bedding of Purple Heart Plant. As discussed above soil must be rich in organic constituents. Moisture and water content must be checked regularly.
3. Roots may block the bottom holes of the pot. In the growing season (spring) plants show aggressive growth so there might be a situation where one must do re-potting. It is also good for keeping soil well-drained and avoiding fungal attacks.
4. Pruning and pinching are done to keep the plant healthy. Fertilizers must be added according to soil requirements^[4]https://www.thespruce.com/growing-purple-heart-plants-5094561.