Tradescantia zebrina trails fast, with pointed leaves striped in silver and deep purple, and purple undersides. It fills a hanging basket in a single season.
It is cheap, grows from any cutting, and is one of the few plants where you are expected to start again periodically.
Light
Tradescantia zebrina grows best in bright, indirect light, and this is the one thing that decides how good it looks.
Too little light
The purple fades to plain green, the silver stripes go dull, and the stems stretch with wide gaps between leaves. This happens quickly, within weeks.
Too much light
Some direct morning sun deepens the colour. Hours of hot afternoon sun scorch the leaves.
Watering
Water when the top 2-3cm (1 inch) of soil is dry. It is thirstier than it looks because it grows so fast.
On average:
- Spring & summer: twice a week
- Autumn & winter: once a week
Signs of overwatering
- Stems go soft and mushy at the base
- Leaves yellow and drop
- Soil stays wet for days
Signs of underwatering
- Leaves go limp and papery
- Leaf edges turn crisp
- Lower leaves shrivel and drop
Humidity and temperature
Average household humidity is fine. Keep it between 15°C and 27°C (59-80°F).
Soil and repotting
Soil
Standard potting compost with perlite for drainage.
Repotting
Rarely worth it. Most people restart the plant from cuttings before it needs a bigger pot.
Feeding
Balanced liquid fertiliser once a month through spring and summer. Nothing in winter.
Pruning and grooming
Pinch the growing tips out regularly. Each pinch makes the stem branch below it, which is the difference between a full plant and a few long bare trails.
Cuttings root in water within a week or two, or straight in damp compost.
Expect to restart it
Tradescantia zebrina goes bare and straggly at the base after a year or so. This is normal ageing, not a care failure, and no amount of pruning fully prevents it.
The fix is to take cuttings from the healthy ends, root them, and pot up a fresh plant. Most people keep the same plant going indefinitely this way.
Common problems
Colour fading to plain green
Not enough light. The most common complaint by far.
Bare, leggy stems
Either too little light, or natural ageing. Take cuttings and start again.
Mushy stems at soil level
Overwatering. Take cuttings from the healthy growth above.
Brown crispy leaf edges
Underwatering, or very dry air.
The sap can irritate skin, so wash your hands after taking cuttings.