If winters are cold and harsh where you live, it would be better if you bring it indoors for the winter. Herbaceous. USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).. How to Grow and Care. The long leaves (grows up to 40 to 60 cm long, 4 to 6 cm wide) are sword-shaped, dark teal green on top, glossy purple on … Tradescantia spathacea is very easy to root in soil or water, making it a fun plant to propagate. Pruning will not harm the plant, but it will shorten it and give you a tip cutting that you can propagate easily in water, in the base of the existing plant or in its own small pot. Native Range: Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala. To grow a vibrant Tradescantia Spathacea, keep its soil moist by watering once or twice in ten days. To get the cutting – you can cut it anywhere along the stem and place it in water or directly in soil. Mine didn’t get enough sunlight last winter and it slowly started turning green. How to Care for a Moses Plant. Evergreen. Use your finger to make a hole in the middle of each pot for the cutting. Tradescantia Purple Heart will love a spot where it gets many hours of sunlight. Alongside Tradescantia Pallida, we can commonly also find T. Zebrina (aka Wandering Jew), T. Fluminensis (aka Small-leaf spiderwort) and T. Spathacea (aka Moses-in-the-cradle). (22-30 cm) 12-15 in. Potted plants may be taken outside in summer. Keep the potting mix moist by watering when the top 1” (2.5 cm) of the soil is dry. Plant should not be eaten raw, as the sap can cause burning pain in mouth and throat. I’d say you’ll have success in 99.9% of times. This type of Tradescantia is commonly found in gardens and is used as an indoor and an outdoor plant. Sometimes called boatlily and oysterplant, Moses-in-the-cradle (Tradescantia spathacea) is a succulent perennial plant noted for its burgundy and bluish-green foliage. Plants like a consistently moist but well-drained soil during the growing season, with reduced watering from fall to late winter. For more information see: Problems Common to Many Indoor Plants. It typically grows as a 6-12" tall rosette consisting of narrow, spirally arranged, linear-lanceolate, stiffly-ascending, sword-shaped, dark green leaves (to 6-12" long) with purple undersides. Tradescantias do best in partial shade but will do equally well in sunny areas as long as the soil is kept moist. One of the stems of my grandma’s Tradescantia accidentally broke and she placed it aside for me. This plant is easily grown indoors in pots or containers.Genus name honors John Tradescant (1570-1638) and his son John Tradescant (1608-1662), botanists and successive gardeners to Charles I of England. Flowers are followed by fruit (3-celled capsules). Genus epithet 'Tradescantia' named after John Tradescant (died 1638), gardener to King Charles I of England. Tradescantia / ˌ t r æ d ɪ ˈ s k æ n t i ə / is a genus of 75 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the family Commelinaceae, native to the New World from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies.Members of the genus are known by the common names spiderwort or Indian paint. Foliage Color: Burgundy/Maroon. Full Shade. Variegated Moses In The Cradle (Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder) ... as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation. The plant needs high humidity and … Plants may be pruned hard in very early spring if needed. Plants also can grow well on rocky soils. You have a single stem that will continue to grow taller and it will not produce branches or baby plants. It … Species epithet 'spathacea' means 'with a spathe', describing the spathe-like bract holding the flowers. Sun or shade; regular to ample water. Rhoeo spathacea is the synonym of Tradescantia spathacea. You can of course also propagate Tradescantia fluminensis in water and even grow it in a vase indefinitely. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and be sure to water the soil underneath the leaves. So, since I had mine outside on full sun all day long, I watered it pretty much every day, sometimes every 2-3 days. You can place your Tradescantia near any window – east, west, north, south – and it will continue to grow. Will tolerate lower light but foliage coloration will be less vibrant. Easily propagated by seeds, stem cuttings or division. But, just to compare, I never needed to water it every day when I had it indoors. Variegated Moses In The Cradle. The Tradescantia Spathacea comes with a beautiful rosette of pinky foliage and will produce tiny white flowers at the base that appear in clusters. Tradescantia spathacea, commonly called Moses-in-a-basket or oyster plant, is a clump-forming evergreen perennial that is native to southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.It is widely cultivated in tropical areas because of its attractive foliage. How to take tradescantia pallida (purple heart) cuttings. Best in filtered or part sun locations. In order that it remains really purple, it needs a lot of sunlight. Tradescantia spathacea, commonly called Moses-in-a-basket or oyster plant, is a clump-forming evergreen perennial that is native to southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. At this point, a bit of water every two weeks will be plenty. Tradescantia spathacea is a stunning plant to brighten up your space, keep it in bright, indirect sunlight and allow it to dry out in between waterings. It's growing extremely fast and now can't support itself and is leaning over. Also grows in shade, but the foliage may not have as bright of colors and it may get leggy. 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