Silver Inch Plant
Silver Inch Plant
Tradescantia zebrina
❦ ❧ ❦
Difficulty — BeginnerA plant that seems to have been dipped in metal — leaves striped in iridescent silver and deep purple, with an undercoat of solid violet beneath. She trails and tumbles with tremendous speed, gaining an inch of new growth almost before your eyes, which is exactly how she earned her common name. As easy and forgiving a trailing plant as I know.
Notes on Cultivation
☀Light
Bright light, including a few hours of gentle direct sun, keeps her stripes vivid and her habit compact. In dimmer conditions she fades toward plain green and stretches into leggy, sparse growth.
❦Water
Keep her lightly, evenly moist — let the top inch dry, but do not let her go bone dry as often as you might a succulent. She wilts dramatically when thirsty, then recovers within the hour of a good drink.
☁Humidity
Average household humidity suits her fine, and she is tolerant of most conditions, though a little extra keeps her leaves fuller.
✵Temperature
Comfortable between 60 and 85 Fahrenheit. She dislikes cold and will drop leaves if chilled, so keep her away from winter drafts.
❧Soil
A standard, well-draining potting mix suits her without any special fuss. She is not particular, so long as water does not pool at her roots.
❀Fertilizing
A light, balanced feed monthly through the growing season is plenty for such a fast grower. She asks for little beyond that.
✿Propagation
About as easy as propagation gets — stem cuttings root within days in a clear cup of moist Fluval Stratum, or even in plain water on a sunny sill. A single cutting can fill a pot in a season. Read the full field method.
Field Observations
Pinch her back regularly. Left unchecked she grows leggy and sparse at the base, but frequent trimming keeps her full, bushy, and covered edge to edge in that shimmering foliage.
Her sap can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive people and pets, so handle cuttings with care. She is also mildly toxic if ingested, so best kept from curious mouths.
— faithfully recorded by Mr. Phileas Plant
