Despite its unpretentiousness, if not properly cared for, tradescantia is prone to the appearance of diseases that have a detrimental effect on the overall appearance of the bush. Signs of diseases and errors when caring for flowers:
- Drying of the tips of the leaves indicates insufficient air humidity.
- Yellowing leaves - the plant lacks moisture.
- The shoots grow, the leaves do not grow and fall off, they lose their characteristic stripes - lack of light.
- Blackening of the leaves indicates rot.
- Flowering does not occur for a long time or is completely absent - excess.
The source of the disease for indoor and outdoor Tradescantia can be a diseased plant. In addition to being affected by rot, it is susceptible to attack by spider mites and thrips. To prevent the appearance of rot, it is enough to drain the remaining water from the pan and follow the rules of agricultural technology.
Tip: to rejuvenate Tradescantia before the winter cold and improve its aesthetic appearance, replant the flower.
Insects attack the lower parts of the plant, changing the appearance and affecting other flowers. To control pests, use a soap solution, an infusion of garlic, and if the affected area is large (for example, in the garden), spraying is necessary. A pronounced positive effect in the fight against insects and slugs is observed after treatment with Actellik, Decis, Karate and permethrin-based preparations.
Maintaining comfortable conditions and proper care at home will enable Tradescantia to fully develop and delight with lush flowering. A well-groomed plant will always delight and decorate your home at any time of the year.
More information can be found in the video:
Tradescantia is a genus of herbaceous plants of the Commelinaceae family, which consists of thirty species and is successfully grown when cared for at home and in the open ground of our latitudes. These are perennial flowers with climbing shoots and alternate leaves, the shape of which differs among different species.
Tradescantia blooms both when grown in gardens and indoors. The color of the flowers is not the same in all species, but it often has a purple tint. But it can have different tones depending on the growing conditions. In the ground the plant reaches half a meter in height.
Tradescantia is quite poisonous, so after touching it, you need to wash your hands with soap. Quite a few species are grown in culture.
Types of Tradescantia photos and names
- the shoots of this species are creeping, and the leaves are oval elongated, green in color, but there is also a variegated variety. The inflorescences are small in size, white in color. Different varieties of this species have different interesting variegated leaf colors.
— the creeping stems of this species are reddish in color. The lower side of the leaf is purple. The inflorescences are pink-white, the sepals are purple. There is also a variegated variety in which the leaves are decorated with yellow lines.
- a common name for hybrid varieties bred from the Virginia species. Lanceolate leaves with a purple tint, flowers of different colors form umbrella inflorescences.
- has straight, branched shoots that grow above 50 cm. The leaves are long, lanceolate. The flowers are purple with a pink tint. There are varieties with different colors of inflorescences.
Or hanging - has red stems, leaves about ten centimeters long, oval in shape. The leaf is decorated with a pair of silvery lines. Inflorescences are purple in color.
Also called Myrtifolia - stems are scarlet-purple with a green tint, creeping. The leaves are round and small. There are variegated striped varieties.
- densely covered with white fluff, which serves as protection from the bright sun, so this species must be placed in brightly lit places, otherwise the fluff will disappear.
- one of the smallest types. The leaves are small, green in color, covered with small dark spots.
Or bedspread - bears sword-shaped olive-colored leaves. It does not form a very large bush. Mainly distributed as an indoor flower. You will find detailed information about growing and caring for reo flowers at home here.
Tradescantia pale or purple , is actually a plant of a different species. This is what is confused with Tradescantia. This plant has very long shoots that grow up to a meter. The leaves have a violet tint, are slightly covered with down at the bottom, violet. It has small pink flowers.
Tradescantia home care
Indoor Tradescantia should be placed in places with bright, diffused lighting. In general, it can withstand direct sunlight well, but during sunny hours it is better to hide the flower to avoid burns.
Variegated tradescantia require more light, as the leaves may lose their color. The white-flowered Tradescantia tolerates shade best.
During the hot period, the temperature should not exceed 25 degrees, and in winter 12, but if in winter the temperature is a little higher, then this will not harm the plant either.
During the spring-summer period, Tradescantia must be constantly watered well, just so that the water does not stagnate in the container with the plant. The liquid for irrigation needs to be settled, preferably rainwater. Watering should be done a couple of days after the substrate in the pot has dried.
In winter, watering should be reduced and done only when all the soil is dry. You cannot keep this plant without moisture for too long, it is very sensitive to it and may die. In the hot summer, spraying will not hurt Tradescantia.
Fertilizer is applied once every fifteen days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. Please note that in pinnate varieties, organic fertilizers affect the color of the leaves. There is no need to fertilize the flower in autumn and winter.
To make Tradescantia look beautiful, it needs to be trimmed a little, pinched and replanted every year. Transplantation is carried out simultaneously with pruning. For young plants this procedure is annual, for old plants it is performed once every couple of years. Drainage is mandatory when planting.
The soil can be made from two parts of leaf soil, one each of turf and humus, as well as half a part of sand. But you can buy special soil in the store.
Garden tradescantia planting and care
To grow garden tradescantia, you need to choose a slightly shady area, preferably next to a pond. The soil needs weak acidity and fertile.
Garden flowers also require watering, especially in hot weather, but overmoistening the soil can lead to the formation of rot. With the arrival of autumn, moisturizing is stopped.
The first time Tradescantia is fertilized with snow removal with complex mineral fertilizer. Further feeding is carried out as for an indoor flower.
But if the soil is sufficiently fertile and contains clay, then for the first couple of years fertilization may not be carried out at all.
At the end of autumn, fading flowers are removed and the area is mulched with peat, and also insulated.
How to propagate Tradescantia at home
Reproduction of indoor tradescantia is carried out in the following ways.
The seed method is used in early spring. The seeds are sown in peat mixed with sand and greenhouse conditions are created for them. The temperature required for germination ranges around 20 degrees. From time to time it is necessary to ventilate and spray the seedlings. The flowering of such tradescantia will begin only after three years.
Propagation by cuttings does not depend on the season. Cut stems more than 10 cm long, five copies each, are planted in containers with sand soil and a mixture of humus soil and compost soil (in equal proportions).
The temperature for growing cuttings is about 18 degrees. Rooting takes place in the first week after planting. Decorative species take longer to take root.
Propagation by dividing the rhizome is carried out during transplantation.
Tradescantia garden propagation
For garden tradescantia, dividing the bush is also the simplest type of propagation. At the beginning of spring, you just need to divide the bush and plant the parts.
For propagation by cuttings, material with internodes is taken. In June, the cuttings are cut off and the lower leaves are removed from them, and then simply planted in the ground. By autumn the plant will have grown a little. You can also plant the cuttings in a greenhouse for a couple of weeks.
To grow Tradescantia for the garden from seeds, they are sown before winter, and in the spring, when there is no longer frost, they are planted in the ground.
But some types of Tradescantia, and especially Virginian, reproduce well by self-sowing. It is better to remove wilted flowers, as you may end up with an excessive number of plant bushes throughout the garden.
Diseases and pests
- Tradescantia leaves turn yellow if it lacks moisture.
- If the air humidity is too low the tips of the leaves begin to dry out .
- Too long shoots and few leaves indicate a lack of lighting.
- If the leaves turn black , then perhaps this is a rot infection.
- In open ground, the plant may suffer from aphids and slugs. .
- Before winter, the flower begins to lose its decorative appearance. Its shoots become long and its leaves dry out . To rejuvenate the flower, replant.
- No flowering most often happens due to excessive fertilization with organic fertilizers.
Tradescantia is a hanging plant that has many different species differing in leaf size and color. When growing at home, care rules must be followed. It blooms in different colors depending on the variety:
- White
- Pink
- Purple
In order for Tradescantia to grow well and the stripes to be clearly visible, it needs to be found in the right place and given the appropriate care.
Where to place the flower
Flower required ambient lighting, but bright enough so that the multi-colored stripes on the leaf plates do not fade.
The brighter the color of the leaf plates, the more diffused light you need for this variety. Solid green varieties can grow in relative shade, but they can also stretch out due to lack of light.
The sun's rays can burn tender leaves.
Humidity and watering
In the summer, when the flower actively and quickly increases its green mass, it needs regular abundant watering. In winter, it is worth letting the soil dry out between waterings.
When the temperature in the room drops significantly below 10 degrees Celsius, stop watering or water only very little at a time, so as not to damage the root system of the plant.
Temperature and lighting
The air temperature fluctuates between 20-25 degrees Celsius in summer; in winter it should not fall below 11 degrees Celsius. If in winter the temperature in the room is higher, then you need to provide the flower with stronger lighting.
To prevent the bush's lashes from stretching, it is necessary to provide sufficient winter lighting.
Soil and fertilizer
In summer they fertilize once every two weeks, fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants. You can fertilize every watering, but in this case the dose of fertilizer must be halved so as not to damage the roots of the plant.
All fertilizing should be done on moist soil so as not to burn the root system of the plant.
How and when to prune
Pruning is carried out in the spring, when the light increases and it is necessary to remove the plants that have stretched out over the winter period.
When circumcised one third of the lash is removed or another unnecessary part. The resulting cuttings can be used for propagation.
Diseases and pests
Diseases rarely visit this plant. All diseases associated with improper care. Of the pests you can only notice aphids, which are small 2 mm. an insect that sucks the sap of a plant. To get rid of it, you need to water the plant with Actellik solution.
It is important to notice the pest in time and begin to fight it.
Reproduction and transplantation
The plant can be propagated in two ways:
- Handle
- Dividing the mother bush
Propagate by cuttings possible throughout the year. To do this, cut cuttings of at least 5 cm, tear off the leaf at the lower internode, and place it in water.
After a week in summer and two in winter, a new root system appears in each individual cutting. They are planted in groups of 5. into one container. The soil should be loose and nutritious, but without excess nitrogen. The container must have drainage and holes for draining water.
The second method is suitable for spring time, when the flower needs annual transplant. They take out the entire lump of earth and divide it in such a way that each divided part contains roots and green mass of the plant. After division, all parts of the plant are planted in separate containers with nutrient soil.
After transplanting, it is necessary to water the plants well.
Useful properties of the plant
This is a medicinal plant, often used in the treatment of such diseases:
- Treatment of minor skin damage;
- Getting rid of boils;
- Treatment of diarrhea;
- Treatment of sore throat;
- Treatment of a runny nose.
Whatever treatment is chosen, you should consult with your doctor.
Possible difficulties during cultivation
Sometimes it happens that a tradescantia bush has a luxurious appearance, but does not throw out its flowers. This happens if the plant was overfed with nitrogen fertilizers. Too large internodes and the plant lacks sufficient lighting.
Help the flower
Sometimes a flower needs help so that it does not lose its beautiful foliage.
Why do the leaves turn yellow?
It is necessary to adjust the watering of the plant by increasing the watering dose. Also, you need to care more carefully, and the leaves will stop turning yellow.
The roots are rotting
Why does it start to rot? This shows about excessive watering. In this case, Tradescantia is cut into cuttings and grown again using cuttings.
This colorful and beautiful plant is very easy to cultivate at home or in the garden. Using a variety of varieties, you can create magnificent miniature flower beds in hanging pots.
Types of Tradescantia
There are more than 100 different species, and almost all of them are grown indoors. Since it is a heat-loving plant, it is not able to survive winter in Russian conditions.
Room
Separately does not exist, since anyone can grow outside in the summer, but in cold weather it needs indoor conditions.
White-flowered
One of the popular types that can often be seen in our apartments. Herbaceous hanging, oval-shaped leaf blades painted in various shades:
- White stripes
- Lettuce stripes
- Pink stripes
All these stripes run along the sheet. It also has its own varieties, which differ from each other in shades of stripes:
- White-striped form - white stripes;
- Laekenensis – has pink stripes;
- Tricolor - pink and white stripes on a light green background;
- Alba - light green background with green and white stripes;
- Aurea - yellow leaf blades with green stripes.
The flowers are located at the ends of the shoots and are white.
It has long shoots of dark purple color, leaf blades grow up to 5 cm long and are lightly covered with hairs. The flowers are not large, pink in color.
Small-leaved is the smallest variety Tradescantia. Leaf blades are no more than 6 mm, green in color, with small spots on the top of the leaf. The flowers are white.
It has large leaf blades with green and pink stripes located along the leaf blade in no particular order. Moreover, the reverse side of the sheet looks uniformly dark green. The leaves are oval, growing up to 8 cm in length. It blooms with small delicate pinkish flowers.
This type of tradescantia slightly poisonous and therefore, after working with it, you should wash your hands well. It has long branches with grayish leaf blades. Small pink flowers are located at the ends of the shoots.
If there are children in the house, then it is better not to grow this species at home.
Striped
This species of Tradescantia also has its middle name Zebrina. A very common species of Tradescantia.
This is a plant that often seen in institutions. The leaf blades are oval-shaped, dark green in color, with silver and purple stripes along the leaf. The length of the striped leaf is 5 cm. It blooms with small flowers of pink-red or white.
This species is easily distinguished by its leaf blades, which are simply wrapped in white wool. Green leaf blades grow up to 7 cm in length. The plant actively branches and grows quickly. In this case, watering of this species should be limited, since moisture slowly evaporates from the surface of the leaf. Flowering occurs with bright pink flowers.
In order for the hair to be saturated, the plant should be cultivated on a southern windowsill.
This Tradescantia can be found growing along rivers and lakes. The leaves are green, up to 3 cm long. The stem is burgundy. White flowers are located at the ends of long shoots.
With good care and sufficient humidity, the species forms a dense carpet of green color.
This is a garden tradescantia with an erect stem and elongated leaf blades up to 15 cm long. The flowers are large blue and purple. They bloom in the early morning, before the heat sets in, and at these hours the plant looks very impressive among other flowers in the flowerbed.
This species is considered unique because all twigs and leaf blades are densely covered with hairs. The branches are erect and the foliage is green. The blooming flowers are bright pink.
The species differs from other types of Tradescantia because it grows among rocks and has short, fleshy stems capable of accumulating moisture. Therefore, some botanists previously classified the species as a succulent. The leaf plates resemble small boats, no more than 2 cm long. They are green, but from the underside of the leaf you can see a pink tint.
When cultivating this species, it should be watered very rarely so as not to cause rotting of the root system.
The view has second name of Reo. It has olive-colored leaf blades that are dark purple underneath. The leaf blades are large, up to 40 cm long and 5 cm wide. They can be planted outside only in the summer. The flowers are white.
Anderson
Can be grown in the garden as it winters safely in central Russia. Named after the scientist who bred this species.
Many varieties of this species can be seen in flower beds; they differ in different shades of colors:
- Blue Stone – has blue flowers
- Hutchinsonii – has blue flowers
- Сoccinea – blooms with red flowers
- Carnea – blooms with beautiful pink flowers
Home and garden species
Domestic species:
- White-flowered
Garden types:
- Anderson
Tradescantia does not have a clear division into indoor and outdoor; regardless of the type, it can be planted in open ground in the summer.
It is a very common indoor plant. The plant belongs to the Commelinaceae family. America is considered the birthplace of Tradescantia, where it is considered a weed in the wild. Tradescantia is named after the English naturalists John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger, who lived in the 16th-17th centuries.
Tradescantia is very easy to care for: it is not at all demanding in terms of maintenance conditions, it reproduces very easily, and thanks to its decorative foliage it continues to be popular among both experienced and novice gardeners.
Tradescantia has gnarled, succulent, bright green stems up to a meter long, succulent leaves and fibrous, tuberous roots. Tradescantia stems are very weak to climb, so they creep. But if tradescantia is hung, the waterfall of stems and leaves will become the center of attention for a long time.
Tradescantia leaves grow from 5 to 15 cm in length. They are thin, like a blade, located alternately on the stems. Tradescantia leaves are flat or grooved, with parallel or arcuate veins. In most types of Tradescantia, the leaves at the base of the stem are slightly expanded and covered with small glandular hairs. Tradescantia leaves can be not only pure bright green. There are also many types of variegated Tradescantia with white, reddish or yellow stripes on the leaves.
Tradescantia flowers are boring and inconspicuous: they are very small and can be white, pink or purple. In garden species of Tradescantia, the flowers are most often bright blue, with three petals. They bloom early in the morning, while there is no bright sun, and close during the day. However, on cloudy days, Tradescantia flowers may remain open until the evening.
In our homes, the most commonly found plant is the white-flowered Tradescantia, which is popularly nicknamed “woman's gossip” for its irrepressible growth. Also in indoor conditions, Tradescantia riverine, Tradescantia crassia, and Tradescantia Blossfeld have proven themselves well.
Tradescantia grows very well and develops in warm or slightly cool, but always bright rooms. With a lack of light, Tradescantia's stems begin to stretch out greatly, and the leaves on such stems are located very far from each other. Also, with a lack of light, Tradescantia leaves begin to lose color and become faded. And, of course, the variegated species of Tradescantia especially need light. If they don’t get enough sunlight, the variegated leaves of such Tradescantias become simply green. The color of the leaves is restored when the plant receives sufficient lighting.
Tradescantia will feel great and look good in flower pots, baskets or pots hanging on the window. Then, even in winter you can observe its rapid, irrepressible growth.
In winter, Tradescantia can withstand temperatures down to +12 +14 0C. But in this case, watering will have to be reduced to a minimum. Because if the air temperature is too low and too much moisture, root rot can develop. Also, root rot can develop in a warm room if the substrate in the pot is too heavy, there is no drainage and there is overflow. In both the first and second cases, the plant will have to be urgently replanted. If the roots of Tradescantia are severely damaged, then the plant should be thrown out. Don't worry, take new cuttings from healthy shoots.
And before you plant these cuttings in a new pot, correct all your previous mistakes. You should not take soil for flowers from the garden. Although Tradescantia is undemanding to soil, it is still better to use ready-made flower substrate from the store. There are many pests in garden soil, such as small black mosquitoes that constantly hover over plants. Their appearance indicates that the soil is too heavy, water is stagnant, and to get rid of mosquitoes, sometimes you have to resort to chemicals.
You can make the substrate yourself by taking leaf humus, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, after freezing it or calcining it in the oven.
Tradescantia requires even watering, the soil in the pot should be slightly moist. If the room is cool in winter, watering is no more than 1-2 times a week; if the room has hot and dry air, there is a bright window, then watering is needed more often. Also, if the room is dry and hot, misting may be recommended to increase the humidity around the plant. If there is insufficient moisture, the tips of the leaves may dry out.
In summer, when the sun shines brightly and the air temperature is high, Tradescantia needs to be watered often; frequent spraying is recommended. It is also better to shade Tradescantia from bright sunlight, otherwise the leaves may burn.
In the spring-summer period, for better growth and decorative appearance of Tradescantia, apply complex fertilizer for decorative foliage plants once every two weeks. In winter, you don’t need to fertilize, otherwise, with a lack of light and too much fertilizer, the plant may die.
In summer, Tradescantia can be taken out into the fresh air and successfully used to decorate balconies and terraces.
As I said earlier, Tradescantia is very easily propagated by cuttings, cut from stems, in coarse sand, water or plain soil, even root stimulants do not need to be used. To make the plant look lush in a pot or flowerpot, plant several cuttings of Tradescantia around the entire circumference of the container.
Scale insects can be removed from a flower using a cotton swab or cloth soaked in a soap or alcohol solution. This solution will help weaken the dense protective layer of scale insects. This must be done at least 4 times every week. If Tradescantia is severely infested with scale insects, treat the plant with any drug sold in the store: actellik, karbofos, or fufanon. Also, an infusion of garlic or pyrethrum is very effective against scale insects.
Aphids, having settled on Tradescantia, damage mainly young leaves and shoots. At the same time, the leaves begin to gradually discolor and die, the shoots become deformed. A sooty fungus can settle on the sticky secretions of aphids, which interferes with photosynthesis. Against aphids, treat Tradescantia with a solution of laundry soap or washing powder (the aphids will suffocate in a soapy solution); if the plant is severely infested, use any insecticide, for example, karbofos or actellik.
Tradescantia is familiar to almost everyone: until recently it was the decoration of any room. And schools, kindergartens, hospitals were simply crammed with these plants - few institutions did not have pots with hanging multi-colored shoots on the shelves.
Nowadays, new, picturesque varieties and species have appeared that are in demand among modern flower growers due to their unpretentiousness and ease of breeding. Amateur flower growers call it “woman's gossip” because of the long branches that are so tangled that it is difficult to make out where this or that shoot originates.
Description of Tradescantia
The genus Tradescantia consists of approximately 60 species of perennial herbaceous plants, native to the humid tropics and subtropical forests. Some of them are in dry areas. The main decoration is considered to be amazing leaves growing on long stems with multiple branches. Their color ranges from light green to blueberry and depends on lighting and temperature. Some varieties have original stripes on the leaves. In our climate, they are grown both indoors and in flower beds.
Due to the nature of the branches to lodging, it is used as a hanging crop. At first, the young stems grow straight up, but soon droop, unable to withstand their own weight. Therefore, they look more respectable in wall planters and on the top shelves of furniture. Under natural conditions, Commelinaceae grow on the ground, with the help of spreading, rooting branches, taking over uninhabited places.
Commelinaceae are known for their trailing stems with alternate leaves that completely hug the trunk at the junctions. To get out, side shoots often have to tear the covering leaf. The veins on the leaves diverge in parallel lines. But the main distinguishing features are associated with the flower. Three petals of white, pink, lilac or violet are enclosed in greenish, free sepals and live for only a couple of days.
On the hanging branches there are barely noticeable rudiments of roots, which, upon contact with a moist soil substrate, immediately increase in size and cling to the soil, which is successfully used for breeding.
Caring for Tradescantia at home
The correct conditions for keeping tradescantia will ensure its full development, abundant flowering, and the formation of green mass. The beauty will delight her owner, giving a positive charge of energy and a great mood. I am glad that there are almost no care requirements and it is very easy to comply with them.
If the plant lives in one pot for a long time- the roots can no longer cope with the task of providing nutrition to the green mass - the leaves begin to partially dry out and the lower part of the stem is exposed, which subsequently dries out: the crown parts hang from the pot on elongated, almost bare, shoots. In this case, cuttings are urgently required to obtain young bushes.
Basically, all Tradescantia love rooms with high humidity and abundant watering.. They can leave a small amount of water in the pan for a short time. Water abundantly without waiting for the earthen ball to dry out, reducing the volume of water only when the room temperature drops. Only some desert species require the soil to dry out between waterings.
The more Tradescantia is fertilized, the faster they grow.. Fertilizing is carried out in the active growth phase. Fertilizers can be anything - organic or mineral.
Typically, Tradescantias are not replanted, with the exception of particularly valuable specimens, which are transferred to a large container with the addition of fresh soil. Ordinary plants are simply renewed using cuttings, because over time the lower parts of the stem become bare and the flowers take on an ugly appearance.
Growing Tradescantia from cuttings
Even the most inexperienced flower lover can propagate Tradescantia.
- Cuttings 10 cm long are taken from adult specimens.
- Remove the leaves on the lower internodes.
- Several pieces are planted in a pot at once and watered abundantly.
- To speed up the process, you can cover the pot with a jar. When new buds appear, the jar is removed.
- Cuttings can be rooted in water and then planted in the ground.
Tradescantia can be rooted even with a very small piece of stem with a couple of leaves. Its lower part is buried in the soil mixture - roots and shoots simultaneously grow from the internode. If you cover the cutting with a transparent jar, the plant will produce new shoots faster.
One of the British flower growers placed the sprout in a glass bottle and closed it with a stopper. He watered the plant only once. And this flower has been growing in a vessel without soil for more than 50 years, forming a closed ecosystem. Amazing, right?
For garden forms, bush division and seed propagation are important. Some species self-sow. When replanting, the roots are trimmed a little and the bush is divided into parts. The plant quickly recovers and blooms.
Planting tradescantia
Planting Tradescantia is simple - you need to prepare nutritious soil. A nutrient mixture for orchids is best suited: the substrate is quite loose, has good drainage properties, and contains all the substances necessary for the plant.
To plant tradescantia:
- Filling the pot with substrate
- We make a hole for the cutting with the root system and place it there, sprinkle it with earth.
- If the cutting is without a root, simply press it into the ground to a depth of 3-4 cm.
- We water it.
Tradescantia planting is over! All that remains is to water it on time and enjoy the rapid growth of the flower.
Tradescantia pests and diseases
Tradescantia is resistant to pest attacks and is little susceptible to disease. Nevertheless, the necessary measures should be taken if negative changes are noticed. The red mite sometimes settles on the back side. To avoid the appearance of pests, you can periodically water the soil in pots with a solution of tar soap.
If a large number of insects are detected, the plant along with the pot is placed in a plastic bag and the flower itself, the flower pot and the soil are thoroughly treated with an insecticide. The bag should be tied in a knot and the plant should be left in it for 5 days. After this, the processing is repeated. Three-time treatment completely eliminates pests. The area where the pot was located should also be wiped with a napkin moistened with an insecticide solution to avoid re-infection.
Most varieties are tolerant to conditions - they tolerate a lack of light, nutrients, watering, air humidity, and attention from the owner, although their appearance suffers.
Commelinaceae can be kept in hydroponic culture - their roots are quite resistant to the lack of air. To maintain Tradescantia at this content, they should be provided with nutrients by dissolving them in water. This solution is added to the container where they are located.
Types of Tradescantia with photos and names with descriptions
Tradescantia villosa
This Tradescantia is easily identified by its leaves covered with silvery pubescence. It is not quite ordinary: it is not only very beautiful, but also a resilient plant that can easily tolerate drought. There are examples of hairy Tradescantia living without water for several weeks. With a lack of moisture, the leaves turn purple and lose their elasticity - as if the plant is freezing. But as soon as a little water gets on the roots, it will come to life and bloom with amazing purple flowers. This flower feels good where other flowers cannot withstand the heat and sun - on the windowsills of southern windows and even next to central heating radiators. In summer you can plant it on the balcony.
White-flowered Tradescantia albiflora photo planting and care
The stem of the plant is herbaceous, strongly branched. Its malachite leaves are sometimes slightly pubescent, and its flowers are white. To make the bush more picturesque, flowering shoots should be pinched, as flowering is inconspicuous and depletes the plant. The most common form is with leaves mottled with irregular white stripes on a light emerald background. The Laekensis form differs from the previous one in having pink stripes, while Tricolor has both white and pink stripes.
Tradescantia Blossfeldiana Tradescantia blossfeldiana photo
This form has wide, few stripes of yellow and green. With a lack of lighting, inept cuttings or pruning, the beautiful stripes on the leaves can disappear forever.
Tradescantia fluminensis
This species has frequent light yellow stripes. The creeping shoots of this species have a magnificent purple color with greenish specks.
Tradescantia navicularis Tradescantia navicularis
A wonderful plant that forms clumps among thickets of cacti on clay soil. It can rightfully be considered a succulent - the supply of moisture is contained in all parts.
Tradescantia sillamontana Tradescantia sillamontana photo
It is literally shrouded in thick white felt - it is difficult to determine the real color of its leaf plates. Its stems grow vertically, and its leaves are arranged in a spiral. Bright pink flowers are especially impressive against the background of whitish leaves.
Tradescantia virginiana Tradescantia virginiana photo
It is successfully grown in garden plots as a perennial plant. It has erect stems with ribbon-like leaf blades. It blooms with numerous pink and blue flowers collected in umbels. The fruit is a capsule with opening flaps.
Tradescantia Andersoniana Tradescantia andersoniana
A profusely flowering perennial for flower beds with a straight stem 35-75 cm high. It has many varieties.
Garden species of Tradescantia can be easily propagated by cuttings, seeds, or dividing the bush. This operation is carried out at the beginning of the season, slightly trimming the roots, after which the flowers are quickly restored. By propagating by seeds, you can get specimens completely different from the parent individual.
This inconspicuous flower has a number of positive qualities.
- The plant is able to cleanse the surrounding atmosphere of negative emissions: tobacco smoke, toxins that emit building materials and furniture.
- Neutralizes the electromagnetic field emitted by home appliances.
- It is actively used in traditional medicine - heals wounds, stops bleeding, relieves inflammation, improves the condition of diabetics.
- Scientists have discovered a substance similar in quality to insulin in the juice of the Zebrina variety of Tradescantia.
- Commeline phytoncides destroy viruses and microbes present in the room.
- Tradescantia humidifies the air, improving the microclimate.
- Pets, especially cats, love to eat juicy leaves. Aquarium fish and birds happily eat crushed leaves.
- It is believed that Tradescantia cleanses the energy field of the house, removes damage and the evil eye, and improves relationships with others. Great for all zodiac signs.
Tradescantia was one of the first representatives of the plant world to travel into space, traveling on a satellite. This beautiful and useful plant brings many positive emotions to its owners.