Purpurea purple heart
Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'
RHS AGM 1993; MBG Plant of Merit 2007
USDA zones10 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size6 to 9 inches tallup to 18 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Cascading
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Pink
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
'Purpurea' purple heart (Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea') is a cascading perennial for containers, borders, rock gardens, and ground cover. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 10 and warmer, down to about 30°F (-1°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full or part sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. It stays 6 to 9 inches tall, spreads up to 18 inches, and tolerates drought and salt.
Pairs well with Polka dot plant, Tuscan Blue rosemary, and Parrot's beak.