Tradescantia is a genus of perennial evergreen herbaceous plants that belongs to the Commeline family. Many varieties of tradescantia are actively used in home floriculture. The culture is grown as an ampel plant or serves as a groundcover for decorating garden plots. The place of origin of the flower is South America. Tradescantia is also found on other continents - in areas with a temperate or tropical climate. It has healing properties, undemanding care, regularly blooms and delights others with its beauty.
How does tradescantia grow
The plant is an evergreen flowering perennial with fairly long creeping or rising shoots. The arrangement of the leaves is next, the shape may be different: ovoid, oval, elongated. Plates are located on short petioles or attached to the base themselves. Color is of two types - plain or colorful with lilac, green, pinkish shades. Some species have pubescent leaf plates, others are completely smooth.
Tradescantia - a very bright, spectacular flower
For your information! Tradescantia is very easy to propagate by leafy cuttings, since when they come into contact with the soil, the roots appear very quickly.
The flowering period is characterized by the appearance on the stems of 2-3 small flowers of white or purple hue. Flowering can last several months, while the life of one flower lasts only one day. Corollas consist of 3 free petals surrounding long stamens, pubescent with a silvery pile (6-7 pcs.) With large anthers of bright yellow color.
Planting a flower is carried out in a moist, quite loose, nutrient-rich soil with good drainage.
Important! Tradescantia perfectly adjacent to ficus (Benjamin, rubber-bearing, etc.).
Tradescantia: species and diversity
The genus Tradescantia includes about 75 species. The variety of cultural forms is explained by the widespread distribution of the flower in the wild, as well as the work of breeders who tirelessly engage in the cultivation of new varieties. More details on what the tradescantia and its most popular forms look like will be discussed later.
Tradescantia Virgin
The plant has branched erect shoots. The height of the bush reaches half a meter. The leaves are narrow, about 20 cm long, about 4 cm wide. Pink, blue or purple flowers are collected in umbrella inflorescences. The culture begins to bloom in July, and ends two months later.
Popular varieties:
- Gemstones;
- Rose flower;
- Rubra;
- Coerulea.
Note! It is one of the parents of another variety of flower - Anderson.
White-flowered tradescantia
Wide (about 6 cm) leaves are characterized by an oval or ovoid shape with a pointed end. The length of the plate is approximately 2.5 cm. The surface is smooth, the color can be monophonic or motley, and striped varieties are also found. The upper part of the stems is decorated with small white flowers collected in umbrella inflorescences. Among the popular varieties of this type are:
- Tricolor. Green leaves are covered with strips of white, lilac and pink flowers;
- Aurea. Yellow leaves with green stripes.
Grade Tricolor
Tradescantia multicolored
She is tradescantia vesicular, reo. This species was assigned to the genus Tradescantia not so long ago. Due to the large external differences with other cultures of this classification group, the multi-colored tradescantia was isolated into a separate genus Reo, belonging to the Commeline family.
Important! This species is very similar to dracaena, only in a reduced form.
Multicolored tradescantia is common in Central America, Mexico, and the Antilles. Due to its high decorative properties, unpretentiousness and compactness, the plant serves to create landscape design (winter and summer gardens, greenhouses), as well as design offices (for example, magazine editorial offices), indoor and other rooms.
The height of the bush reaches 40 cm. The stems branch, forming a natural and at the same time original plant shape. Over time, the lower leaves begin to fall off, and then the flower becomes like a palm tree.
The fabric of the flower is covered with villi of red-orange color.
Thick, fleshy stems have smooth, lanceolate, gathered leaves in a dense rosette, the width of which varies from 5 to 8 cm, and a length of about 30 cm. They are painted dark green on the outside, the inner surface is purple-red with pronounced stripes.
The flowers are small, white, wrapped in purple scribe scaphoid shape. For this reason, the second name of the tradescantia sounds like the boat of Moses.
Flowering is short and does not depend on the time of year, however, it can begin only in conditions of sufficient lighting.
Vesicular
Due to the weak root system, the flower needs to be replanted very carefully and prevent the soil from drying out.
Small-leaved tradescantia
Shoots of lilac-brown color, covered with many small ovoid leaflets with a smooth, glossy surface. The outer side of the leaf plates is painted dark green, and the wrong side is lilac.
Tradescantia Andersoniana
The plant was obtained as a result of breeding work with small-leaved tradescantia.
Stems erect with branches. The height of the bush is 30-80 cm. Nodular shoots are covered with long narrow leaves. Flowers, consisting of three petals, are painted in several tones at once - purple, pink and white.
Note! It blooms throughout the summer season.
Tradescantia Blossfeld
This species has dense creeping shoots covered with green-red skin. Sedentary dark green oval leaves with a pointed end grow in length by 4-8 cm. The width of the leaf plates is 1-3 cm. The surface of the plates has a reddish tint on the outside and a purple color on the inside. The underside is densely covered with villi. Inflorescences are located in the sinuses and consist of three purple petals. Stamens and sepals are covered with a silvery pile.
Tradescantia blossfeldiana
Tradescantia sillamontana
It grows in only one place - in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. The height of the bush reaches 30-40 cm, when grown in a container - about 20 cm. The width of an adult flower is 40-50 cm.
Note! This species is characterized by a powerful, rapidly growing root system, direct, purplish-green shoots, which eventually begin to spread along the ground and take new roots into it.
The stems of the tradescantia are covered with fluff, for which they called the sillamontana a white velveteen.
The arrangement of dense oval leaves is next, the length of each plate can reach from 3 to 7 cm. The outer side has an olive-silver color, under bright lighting acquiring a purple tint with a red tint. The inner surface of the leaves is purple-violet. Three-petalled flowers with a diameter of up to 3 cm are located on short single peduncles, painted in a rich purple-pink hue.
The flowering period occurs in July, however, it can begin earlier (in the first days of summer and even in spring) in the presence of bright lighting, heat and a sufficient amount of fertilizing.
Tradescantia Sillamontana
Tradescantia
The leaves are dense, have an elongated shape, reach a length of 15 cm, are connected to the shoot with one base (almost without a petiole). The arrangement of leaves is spiral. The edges of the plate are decorated with contrasting bordering.
Note! Crassula is prone to overgrowth, so it is recommended to rejuvenate the flower regularly. The best propagation method for this species is cuttings.
The plant needs more intense lighting compared to other types of tradescantia. A slight dimming is also necessary, since too bright light leads to fading of the leaves.
Tradescantia White chrysalis
The main distinguishing feature of this species is a bright snow-white flowering.
Tradescantia sitara
This species is characterized by erect shoots and lanceolate foliage. The front side of the plates is colored yellow or green, and the wrong side can be lilac, red or purple.
Tradescantia quadricolor
This species includes zebrin tradiscantium. It features four-color leaves, the palette of which includes pink, silver, whitish and dark green tones.
Note! The coloring in all its diversity is presented in the form of strokes.
Tradescantia ruddy bride
The plant has pearly flowers (give a resemblance to an orchid), which stand out clearly against the background of bronze leaves with a glossy tint. Flowering occurs in the period from June to August. The height of the bush varies from 35 to 40 cm.
Blushing brides
Setcreasea purpurea
She is tradescantia purple, pale. Wild culture is found on the Gulf of Mexico. The plant has dense creeping shoots reaching a length of 1 m. The arrangement of leaves is regular, the shape is lanceolate, up to 10 cm in length. The color of the outer smooth surface is green-purple. The inner side, covered with a small fluff, is painted in purple. Flowering is long, starting in mid-spring and ending in late summer. The flowers are purple-pink with three wide petals.
Tradescantia striped
Another name is hanging zebrin. This species is characterized by creeping shoots, and therefore the culture is often grown as ampelous. Varieties with erect stems are also found. Tradescantia zebrin violet has rather large ovoid leaflets, which are located on short petioles. The outer side is decorated with longitudinal stripes of silver color, the reverse has a plain red-purple color. The flowers are small, purple or violet.
Tradescantia striped
Among other common types and varieties of tradescantia are:
- riverine;
- white-flowered;
- myrtle;
- variegated.
Tradescantia is represented by an amazing variety of species and varieties, so that every grower can easily choose the best option for himself.
