Care guide
Tradescantia
Spiderwort
Tradescantia zebrina / T. pallida / T. fluminensis
Fast-growing trailing stems in purple, green, silver, cream or pink. This guide covers the indoor Tradescantias sold as Nanouk, Purple Heart and Zebrina, including Deep Purple. Bright light and regular trimming help keep the display colourful and full.
At a glance
tap for detail ↓Just arrived?
Welcome home! A little settling-in is completely normal — here’s what to know in week one.
- A dropped leaf or a little droop in the first week is just travel shock — give it a calm, bright spot and time.
- Don’t repot for at least 4 weeks. It ships happy in its nursery pot — just sit that inside your decorative cover.
- Check the plant-specific watering guidance below before giving it a drink — different plants prefer very different levels of dryness.
Light
Bright light keeps trailing Tradescantias compact and colourful, and many enjoy gentle direct morning or evening sun. Variegated cultivars such as Nanouk need the brightest positions to retain pink or cream colouring; deep shade produces longer, greener growth.
Watering
Check the compost weekly and water when the top few centimetres are dry. Water the compost rather than the leaves, then let excess drain away. Check more often in warm, bright conditions and reduce watering in winter. Fleshy stems can cope with a short dry spell, but standing water encourages rot.
Humidity & temperature
Completely unfussy about humidity — ordinary rooms are fine. Happy between 15–26°C.
Feeding
A monthly balanced feed through spring and summer fuels their remarkable growth rate.
Repotting & size
Pruning usually matters more than frequent repotting. Pinch stem tips to encourage branching and refresh bare sections with healthy rooted cuttings. Move up one pot size in spring when roots fill the pot, using a free-draining peat-free mix. Wear gloves if the sap irritates your skin.
Something wrong?
Most problems are fixable — find the symptom below.
Colours fading to green
Cause
Too little light, although colour also varies between cultivars.
Fix
Move to brighter light with gentle morning or evening sun. Introduce stronger light gradually.
Long bare stems
Cause
Low light or older trailing growth.
Fix
Trim back to healthy nodes and improve the light. Root healthy cuttings to refill the pot.
Mushy stems
Cause
Stem or root rot encouraged by persistently wet compost.
Fix
Remove rotting tissue and inspect roots. If the base is affected, save healthy cuttings and discard rotten material. Use fresh, free-draining compost and avoid standing water.
Crispy leaves
Cause
Dry compost, hot sun or damaged older foliage.
Fix
Check soil moisture and move away from scorching sun. Water when the top few centimetres dry; damaged leaves will not recover.
Weak new growth
Cause
Low light, root stress or insufficient nutrients.
Fix
Check light, moisture and roots first. Feed during active growth if the plant is otherwise healthy; do not feed a waterlogged plant as a cure.
Leaves dropping along the stem
Cause
Ageing stems, low light or repeated dry spells.
Fix
Improve conditions and prune back. Healthy cuttings can replace bare older stems.
Meet the plant
About Tradescantia
Common names include: tradescantia, spiderwort, inch plant, Nanouk, purple heart, zebrina.
- Tradescantia stems can root from nodes, making healthy cuttings useful for refreshing a sparse pot.
- Nanouk, Purple Heart and Zebrina are different Tradescantia selections; their colours and leaf shapes vary.
- Tradescantia sap can irritate skin. Keep plants away from pets that chew foliage, and wear gloves when pruning if your skin is sensitive.
Shop this plant
Seasonal care tips, four times a year
What to change as the light changes — no spam, ever.
