How to grow Tradescantia zebrina (inch plant)? Growing methods and things to note

Tradescantia zebrina is also known as inch plant, striped inch plant, silver inch plant and wandering dude, and is an evergreen herbaceous plant in the genus Tradescantia of the family Commelinaceae. It spreads very quickly when planted in South China, and can be seen everywhere around gardens, school campuses, institutional green spaces and residential buildings; some have spread and grown into a wild or semi-wild state. It is commonly grown for ornamental purposes. Let us take a look below at the growing methods and things to note for Tradescantia zebrina!

Growth habits of Tradescantia zebrina

In its place of origin, Tradescantia zebrina mostly creeps along shady, damp ground and fears exposure to blazing sun. It can tolerate low temperatures of 8°C, is not cold-hardy, fears intense heat, and can grow normally above 14°C. It requires relatively high air humidity; in dry air the leaf tips often dry out and the leaf edges scorch. It is not drought-tolerant but tolerates wet conditions, and is not particular about soil pH.

Propagation methods for Tradescantia zebrina

Tradescantia zebrina is usually propagated by cuttings; take several nodes of healthy stems and insert them into moist sand and they will root. The optimum temperature for rooting of the cuttings is 18-25°C. If it is below 18°C, the cuttings find it very hard to root and grow extremely slowly. But above 25°C, the cut ends of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot, so attention is needed. At the same time, after cuttings are taken the relative air humidity must be kept at 75-85%, with misting 1-3 times a day to increase humidity, but over-misting makes the cuttings prone to pathogen infection and rot, so excessive care must be avoided.

Growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina

1. Soil: Tradescantia zebrina is not demanding about soil, but grows better in fertile, loose soil. It is best to use a mix of 40% leaf mould, 40% garden soil and 20% river sand.

2. Sunlight: Tradescantia zebrina fears direct strong light and needs to be grown in a semi-shaded spot, or given 70% shade. When grown indoors, place it in as bright a spot as possible.

3. Temperature: The optimum growing temperature for Tradescantia zebrina is 18-30°C. It dislikes cold and frost; the overwintering temperature should be above 10°C, it enters dormancy below 4°C, and dies from frost damage when the temperature approaches 0°C.

4. Fertilising: Tradescantia zebrina has a high demand for fertiliser and water, but it most dislikes careless feeding, strong fertiliser and one-sided applications of nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium. Follow the fertilising (and watering) principle of “light fertiliser applied frequently, small amounts but many times, complete nutrition”.

5. Pruning: On plants of Tradescantia zebrina that have been grown for too long, the leaves at the base often drop off, spoiling the look. At this point the overly long stems and leaves should be cut back to encourage new shoots to sprout from the base of the stems and grow new stems and leaves.

Things to note with Tradescantia zebrina

1. In spring and autumn, Tradescantia zebrina is best kept indoors near a south-facing window. If light is insufficient for a long time, the stems and leaves tend to grow leggy, the internodes lengthen, and it flowers little or not at all.

2. Tradescantia zebrina requires relatively high air humidity. If the air is dry, the leaves dry out easily and the leaf tips scorch, so during the growing season you should regularly spray water on the stems and leaves to maintain air humidity.

3. To keep the stems and leaves full and bushy, when the stems reach about 20-30 cm, pinch out the growing tips to encourage branching; otherwise the stems grow thin and long, spoiling the ornamental effect.

4. In winter, Tradescantia zebrina overwinters safely if the room temperature is kept above 5°C. During overwintering the plant is dormant and needs little water; too much watering very easily causes root rot and yellow leaves.

5. When growing Tradescantia zebrina, pay attention to giving it regular light to prevent leggy stems and leaves. In summer it must not be exposed to direct blazing sun, and after pruning do not water heavily before new stems have grown.

[Tradescantia zebrina pictures] Growing methods and things to note for Tradescantia zebrina

Tradescantia zebrina is a plant with medicinal value; it has the functions of cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting urination, and can be used to treat acute conjunctivitis, sore swollen throat, leukorrhoea, venomous snake bites and more. It gets its name because its leaves resemble bamboo leaves and it is grown in pots as a hanging plant, with its stems and leaves admired as they trail down in all directions. Below, let us look at pictures of Tradescantia zebrina and what its growing methods and things to note are.


  Introduction to Tradescantia zebrina
  Tradescantia zebrina is also called inch plant, striped inch plant, silver inch plant, red lotus and more. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Tradescantia, with stems up to one metre long, rather weak, semi-succulent, branching, sprawling or hanging. The leaves are alternate and rather like bamboo leaves in shape, with tips acute to acuminate or slightly blunt and bases sheathing the stem; the leaf sheaths bear sparse long hairs, the upper surface is purple-green mixed with silvery white and has purple stripes down the middle and along the edges, while the underside of the leaf is purple and hairless. The flowers of Tradescantia zebrina are clustered inside a pair of unequal leaf-like bracts at the top, rose-purple in colour, and the flowering period is from June to August each year.


  Propagation as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
  When propagating Tradescantia zebrina, cuttings are usually used. Take several nodes of healthy stems and insert them into moist sand and they will root, and the best rooting temperature for the cuttings is 18-25°C. If the temperature is below 18°C, the cuttings find it very hard to root and grow extremely slowly. If the temperature is above 25°C, the cut ends of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot. After taking cuttings of Tradescantia zebrina, the air humidity needs to be kept at 75%-85%.


  Temperature and light as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
  Tradescantia zebrina is a plant that likes a bright environment, and also rather likes semi-shade, being somewhat afraid of sunlight. While it is growing, it must not be placed in strong light, but it also must not be kept for long in too dim an environment. Tradescantia zebrina prefers a warm environment and is not cold-hardy; its growing temperature is best at 15-25°C. In winter it should be moved into a room to overwinter, and the room temperature must not be below 10°C.


  Watering and fertilising as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
  Tradescantia zebrina likes a very moist environment, so when growing it you must keep the potting soil moist and not too dry, otherwise the older leaves at the lower part of the plant easily dry out, turn yellow and drop. During its growing season, water once a day and also spray water on the leaf surfaces and the surroundings of the plant to speed up the growth of stems and leaves. When it enters dormancy, watering must be controlled. Tradescantia zebrina is not very demanding about fertiliser; during the period when its stems and vines first start growing, apply a low-concentration liquid fertiliser once every 15 days, and during the growing season apply a liquid fertiliser once every 2-3 weeks, while also applying phosphorus and potassium fertiliser 2-3 times to promote the growth of stems and leaves and keep the leaf surfaces fresh and glossy.


  Pruning and repotting as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
  Tradescantia zebrina grows very fast at suitable temperatures, so during its growing period it needs pinching, pruning and adjusting. The roots of Tradescantia zebrina live longer than its leaves, and as the vines grow longer and longer the leaves at the base gradually dry out, turn yellow and drop. So the overly long stems and leaves should be cut off in good time to encourage new shoots and new stems to sprout from the base. Generally, after a potted Tradescantia zebrina has been grown for two years, all the old vines should be cut off and its pot changed in spring; when changing the pot, remove the fibrous roots outside the root ball, to encourage it to sprout new roots and stems.


  Things to note with Tradescantia zebrina
  The best growing temperature for Tradescantia zebrina is 15-25°C, and the temperature must not fall below 10°C; if it falls below 10°C, growth will stop. Because Tradescantia zebrina likes moisture, during its growing period it should be watered every day and the soil kept moist, with water sprayed on the leaves and around them. In winter, Tradescantia zebrina enters dormancy and the amount of water given must be controlled. Tradescantia zebrina likes semi-shade, so during growing it should be kept away from blazing sun. But staying too long in too shady a spot often causes leggy stems and leaves and paler leaf colour.


  Summary:The above is our introduction to Tradescantia zebrina pictures together with the growing methods and things to note for Tradescantia zebrina. After reading this introduction, I believe you have a fairly good understanding. In its place of origin, Tradescantia zebrina mostly creeps along shady, damp ground and fears exposure to blazing sun. It is not demanding about the soil it is grown in and can grow well in ordinary soil.

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Tradescantia zebrina [Tradescantia zebrina pictures] Growing methods and things to note for Tradescantia zebrina

Tradescantia zebrina is a plant with medicinal value; it has the functions of cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting urination, and can be used to treat acute conjunctivitis, sore swollen throat, leukorrhoea, venomous snake bites and more. It gets its name because its leaves resemble bamboo leaves and it is grown in pots as a hanging plant, with its stems and leaves admired as they trail down in all directions. Below, let us look at pictures of Tradescantia zebrina and what its growing methods and things to note are.


Introduction to Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina is also called inch plant, striped inch plant, silver inch plant, red lotus and more. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Tradescantia, with stems up to one metre long, rather weak, semi-succulent, branching, sprawling or hanging. The leaves are alternate and rather like bamboo leaves in shape, with tips acute to acuminate or slightly blunt and bases sheathing the stem; the leaf sheaths bear sparse long hairs, the upper surface is purple-green mixed with silvery white and has purple stripes down the middle and along the edges, while the underside of the leaf is purple and hairless. The flowers of Tradescantia zebrina are clustered inside a pair of unequal leaf-like bracts at the top, rose-purple in colour, and the flowering period is from June to August each year.


Propagation as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
When propagating Tradescantia zebrina, cuttings are usually used. Take several nodes of healthy stems and insert them into moist sand and they will root, and the best rooting temperature for the cuttings is 18-25°C. If the temperature is below 18°C, the cuttings find it very hard to root and grow extremely slowly. If the temperature is above 25°C, the cut ends of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot. After taking cuttings of Tradescantia zebrina, the air humidity needs to be kept at 75%-85%.


Temperature and light as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina is a plant that likes a bright environment, and also rather likes semi-shade, being somewhat afraid of sunlight. While it is growing, it must not be placed in strong light, but it also must not be kept for long in too dim an environment. Tradescantia zebrina prefers a warm environment and is not cold-hardy; its growing temperature is best at 15-25°C. In winter it should be moved into a room to overwinter, and the room temperature must not be below 10°C.


Watering and fertilising as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina likes a very moist environment, so when growing it you must keep the potting soil moist and not too dry, otherwise the older leaves at the lower part of the plant easily dry out, turn yellow and drop. During its growing season, water once a day and also spray water on the leaf surfaces and the surroundings of the plant to speed up the growth of stems and leaves. When it enters dormancy, watering must be controlled. Tradescantia zebrina is not very demanding about fertiliser; during the period when its stems and vines first start growing, apply a low-concentration liquid fertiliser once every 15 days, and during the growing season apply a liquid fertiliser once every 2-3 weeks, while also applying phosphorus and potassium fertiliser 2-3 times to promote the growth of stems and leaves and keep the leaf surfaces fresh and glossy.


Pruning and repotting as part of the growing methods for Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina grows very fast at suitable temperatures, so during its growing period it needs pinching, pruning and adjusting. The roots of Tradescantia zebrina live longer than its leaves, and as the vines grow longer and longer the leaves at the base gradually dry out, turn yellow and drop. So the overly long stems and leaves should be cut off in good time to encourage new shoots and new stems to sprout from the base. Generally, after a potted Tradescantia zebrina has been grown for two years, all the old vines should be cut off and its pot changed in spring; when changing the pot, remove the fibrous roots outside the root ball, to encourage it to sprout new roots and stems.


Things to note with Tradescantia zebrina
The best growing temperature for Tradescantia zebrina is 15-25°C, and the temperature must not fall below 10°C; if it falls below 10°C, growth will stop. Because Tradescantia zebrina likes moisture, during its growing period it should be watered every day and the soil kept moist, with water sprayed on the leaves and around them. In winter, Tradescantia zebrina enters dormancy and the amount of water given must be controlled. Tradescantia zebrina likes semi-shade, so during growing it should be kept away from blazing sun. But staying too long in too shady a spot often causes leggy stems and leaves and paler leaf colour.


Summary: The above is our introduction to Tradescantia zebrina pictures together with the growing methods and things to note for Tradescantia zebrina. After reading this introduction, I believe you have a fairly good understanding. In its place of origin, Tradescantia zebrina mostly creeps along shady, damp ground and fears exposure to blazing sun. It is not demanding about the soil it is grown in and can grow well in ordinary soil.