Tradescantia Pallida or Purpurina: [Planting, Care, Watering and Substrate]

The Purpurina, Amor de hombre, or Tradescantia pallida, is another perennial plant that adapts perfectly well indoors.

Family of the Commelinaceae, it reaches about 40 cm in height and its stems are of hanging growth, with an indescribable resistance that allows it to live inside or outside the house.

It supports radiant sun as much as a good shade.

The most striking are the characteristics of its leaves: purple in color witha reddish edge or edge, they give a unique distinction to this slightly hanging plant thatwill propagate quite well even in a hanging pot.

Its ideal state is ground cover, given its creeping character.

In the summer, small pink inflorescences appear that make a great visual contrast with the characteristic purple leaves of this plant.

Glitter Characteristics

If you are a beginner in the world of gardening, this plant will raise your self-esteem with its high yield.

It produces, for example, a tapestry effect that will make you feel very satisfied, even when kept in a large pot, because it obviously needs to expand.

It is also a great purifier of environments. Yes. That’s why they also grow it in offices, with a view to improving labor productivity, because workers’ breathing is cleaner and, therefore, ideas will flow much better.

If you have it in your room, it will also give you benefits. It is also capable of eliminating unpleasant odours.

Temperature: Where do we plant the Glitter?

It needs to grow and be kept in warm environments, which do not exceed a constant between 12°C and 18°C.

In drought it will suffer notably, so it is necessary to protect it from extreme climates, because the severe winter does not favor it either.

Light: What light needs do you have?

Natural lighting must always be present throughout its life, but without the sun falling directly on its leaves.

It does not tolerate extremely hot or very cold climates.

She relaxes in the shade quite well, so keeping her in a shady spot in your home should be fine.

It’s more. If it does not get good natural light daily, its leaves will fade to dry completely. That is why it is necessary to cultivate it in partial or full shade, in case we do not have a good sun indoors.

She will adapt and her leaves will resume their usual tone.

But something important must be clear: the shades of purple on its leaves can vary according to the different seasons of the year, having greater or lesser intensity of violet.

Substrate and Fertilizer: How do we prepare the land?

The substrate must have a lot of nutrients and a particularly fluid drainage, although in reality the Tradescantia pallida does not have many problems. It survives equally in high quality soils and in calcareous soils of poor lands.

It hates living in heavy soils with high water retention. And it is very good for it to receive a good organic fertilizer in spring, when the energy consumption of the plant will be greater due to the arrival of the flowering season.

Fertilize the plant every 15 days in its growth phase and every three weeks in its dormant or resting state.

In the same way, take advantage of spring to carry out transplants, because the temperature has risen and new roots have surely appeared that will give new plants.

By cuttings you can also get it. Some people add hormones to promote rooting.

Organic fertilizer at the beginning of spring is ideal at this time of plant multiplication.

How do we water the Tradescantia Pallida?

When the plant lives in a pot, it is essential to let the substrate dry well, between watering and watering, or you already know how its root system will suffer.

Excess water affects all plants in general. And if it is an adult plant, with strong roots, it can even withstand drought, especially those that live in the garden.

It is enough to water it twice a week in summer and one watering every 10 days in winter.

It does not really need large regular days of irrigation. Step it up when growing a young plant that needs to grow and get stronger.

The Tradescantia also has another great advantage: you can make decorative combinations for your balcony by mixing it with other flowering plants, such as the pink Surfina and the pink Mandevilla.

The natural contrasts that you will achieve in a large window box that you can keep on your balcony in the spring are simply fabulous.