Tradescantia care: growing inch plants indoors

Light

Light is what keeps a tradescantia compact and colorful. Missouri Botanical Garden says both species do best in filtered sun and will grow in direct sun with some afternoon protection, and NC State warns that T. fluminensis needs that afternoon shade to avoid leaf scorch. NC State notes that zebrina shows its strongest color in full sun, though in southern locations strong sun can wash the color out, and that in low light the stems drop their lower leaves and the remaining ones fade.

The University of Illinois Extension puts the inch plant in its medium-light group, about 150 foot-candles, which means directly in front of a north window or a few feet from an east or west one. That is the minimum for a plant that merely survives. For dense, striped growth, choose a bright east window with morning sun, or a spot just to the side of a south or west window where the hot midday rays do not reach the leaves.

Water

Tradescantia stems are fleshy and hold some water, but the roots are fine and rot quickly in a wet pot. NC State's advice for T. zebrina is to water regularly but let the soil dry out between waterings, while Missouri Botanical Garden asks for consistently moist but well-drained soil during the growing season for both species. The workable middle ground is to water thoroughly as soon as the surface of the mix feels dry, then let the excess drain away completely.

Aim the water at the soil, not the leaves. A dense, trailing mat holds moisture against the foliage, and NC State links leaf spot to overcrowding and wet leaves. Hanging baskets near the ceiling dry faster than pots on a shelf, so lift them now and then: a light basket needs water, a heavy one does not.

From fall to late winter, both NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden say to cut back on watering. With shorter days the plant grows slowly and the mix stays damp longer, so let a little more of it dry before each watering. Soggy soil in a cool room is the quickest route to black, collapsing stems.

Soil and pH

Missouri Botanical Garden recommends a peaty, soil-based potting mix for both species, and NC State asks for soil that is moist but well-drained. A standard bagged houseplant mix meets both, as long as the container has drainage holes. Hanging baskets are the classic choice because the stems cascade over the edge, and a shallow, wide pot suits a plant whose roots stay near the surface.

Humidity

Humidity is the easy part. NC State says T. zebrina tolerates average home humidity as well as high humidity, so there is no need for pebble trays or misting, and misting a dense mat of leaves can encourage the leaf spot mentioned above. The exception is a plant beside a heating vent, where dry, moving air browns the leaf tips and invites spider mites; moving it a few feet away is enough.

Temperature

NC State gives 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) as the range where T. zebrina thrives, close to the University of Illinois Extension's general rule for foliage plants of 65 to 75°F by day with nights 5 to 10 degrees cooler, or about 55 to 60°F (13 to 16°C). Neither source gives a precise cold limit for the plant indoors, so treat the mid-50s as the floor. Both species are hardy outdoors only in frost-light climates, roughly USDA zones 8 or 9 to 12, so a pot taken out for summer must come back inside before cool fall nights.

Fertilizer

Neither NC State nor Missouri Botanical Garden gives a feeding schedule for tradescantia, so the University of Illinois Extension's general houseplant rule applies: fertilize no more than once every one to three months from March to September, with a balanced or 1:2:1 houseplant fertilizer at the label rate, and stop in winter. A fast grower in bright light can take the shorter interval; overfeeding produces long, soft stems that flop rather than fuller growth.

Work out the dose for your watering can with the fertilizer dilution calculator →

Repotting

Tradescantia rarely needs a big pot, because the stems age faster than the roots fill the container. NC State says the plant can be pruned back hard every spring, which keeps it contained and denser. When roots grow through the drainage holes or the plant wilts between normal waterings, the signs the University of Illinois Extension lists, repot in spring or early summer. Often the better move is to start over: root a handful of fresh tips in a new pot of mix and retire the leggy old plant.

• Roots grow through the drainage holes
• The plant wilts between normal waterings
• Stems are bare at the crown and leafy only at the tips

Propagation

Few houseplants are easier to multiply. The stems root at the nodes, and NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden both describe the plant as easily propagated by stem cuttings. Cut 3 to 6 inch tips with at least two nodes, as the University of Illinois Extension recommends for stem cuttings, remove the lower leaves, and set them in water or moist mix in bright, indirect light. Tender, water-filled stems like these often root within a week.

Pushing several rooted cuttings back into the same pot, around the base of the plant, is the simplest way to fix thin, straggly growth and keep a basket full for years.

Methods: Stem cuttings in water or moist mix, Rooted stem pieces (stems root at the nodes) · Best season: spring or summer, though cuttings root most of the year.

Common problems

Most tradescantia problems are about light and water. Long bare stems with tufts of leaves at the ends mean too little light and too little pruning; faded stripes mean the same. Root and stem rot follow soggy soil, and leaf spot follows crowding and wet foliage. For pests, NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden list aphids, mealybugs, scale, whiteflies and spider mites. Outdoors, the plant becomes a problem in its own right: NC State calls T. fluminensis an invasive species, noxious weed or pest plant in many places, including the southeastern United States, Australia and New Zealand, where it smothers native ground covers. Never dump trimmings in the yard in a warm climate.

Not sure which one it is? Try the plant problem diagnosis tool →

Is the tradescantia toxic to cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists the inch plant and the variegated inch plant, both entered under T. fluminensis, as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The only clinical sign it records is dermatitis, that is, skin irritation, and it names no toxic principle. The ASPCA has no separate entry for T. zebrina, but NC State tags zebrina as a problem for cats, dogs and children, with low severity: mouth and stomach irritation if eaten and skin redness from the sap. For T. fluminensis, NC State adds vomiting, swelling of the mouth and difficulty breathing if eaten. A pet brushing past or lying on a trailing mat can also react, so hang the plant out of reach and wear gloves when pruning.

Check any other plant against the ASPCA lists →