Tradescantia Varieties at a Glance: Care, Propagation & the 7 Most Beautiful Species
Hardly any houseplant brings as much color into your home as quickly as the Tradescantia – also known as the inch plant. Whether it's glowing pink, silvery striped purple, or creamy-white variegation: these trailing plants are easy to care for, grow vigorously, and are incredibly simple to propagate. In this article, we'll introduce our Tradescantia varieties in detail – all available directly in our shop, either as a rooted plant or as a cutting.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Tradescantia?
- Tradescantia zebrina 'Pink Paradise'
- Tradescantia zebrina 'Smit Silver Sicilian'
- Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk'
- Tradescantia albiflora 'Albovittata'
- Tradescantia fluminensis 'Yellow Hill'
- Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Passion'
- Insider Tip: Callisia repens 'Pink Lady'
- All Varieties Compared
- Care: How to Keep Your Tradescantia Colorful
- Propagation via Cuttings
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is a Tradescantia?
Tradescantias belong to the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae) and originally hail from Central and South America. As houseplants, they impress with fast growth, trailing stems, and – depending on the variety – spectacular leaf colors ranging from silver to pink to deep purple. They're perfect for hanging baskets, shelves, or as a cascade on a windowsill.
The best part: Tradescantias forgive beginner mistakes too. They need neither special substrate nor elaborate care, and under good conditions they grow visibly from week to week. And if a stem gets too long? Simply cut it off, put it back in the pot – and you've got an even bushier plant.
Tradescantia zebrina 'Pink Paradise' – The Color Bomb
The 'Pink Paradise' is probably the most striking zebrina variety: its leaves glow in vivid pink and purple, almost neon-colored in bright light. It grows quickly, trails beautifully over the pot's rim, and is a real eye-catcher in any hanging basket. The brighter the location (without harsh midday sun), the more intense the pink tones.
Price: from €3.50 as a cutting, from €9.50 as a rooted plant in a 5.5 cm pot
🌸 View Pink Paradise in the Shop
Tradescantia zebrina 'Smit Silver Sicilian' – Silvery Elegance
The 'Smit Silver Sicilian' shows the classic zebrina pattern at its most refined: silvery shimmering stripes on a green-purple background, with leaf undersides in rich purple. In backlight, the leaves appear almost metallic. A robust, fast-growing variety – ideal for anyone who prefers a slightly more subdued zebrina look than the Pink Paradise.
Price: from €3.00 as a cutting, from €9.50 as a rooted plant
✨ View Smit Silver Sicilian in the Shop
Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk' – Our Bestseller
The 'Nanouk' isn't the most popular Tradescantia in our shop for nothing: its compact, sturdy stems bear thick leaves in green, purple-pink, and creamy white. Unlike many zebrina varieties, the Nanouk grows more upright and bushy before it starts to trail – giving it an especially full look. In bright light, the pink coloring intensifies noticeably.
Price: from €3.00 as a cutting, from €9.50 as a rooted plant
Tradescantia albiflora 'Albovittata' – The Green-and-White Classic
If you like it classic, reach for the 'Albovittata', the white inch plant: fresh green leaves with crisp white longitudinal stripes, elegant and timeless. It fits any interior style, grows reliably, and is one of the most uncomplicated varieties out there – perfect for hanging baskets or as a decorative shelf plant.
Price: €3.00 – €5.00
🌿 View Albovittata in the Shop
Tradescantia fluminensis 'Yellow Hill' – Sunshine for the Shelf
The 'Yellow Hill' brings a warm tone into the mix with its green-yellow variegation, one rarely seen in Tradescantias. The delicate, glossy leaves look fresh and light – a great complement to the purple varieties and a real mood-lifter in partly shaded spots.
Price: from €5.00 as a cutting, from €9.50 as a rooted plant
🌞 View Yellow Hill in the Shop
Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Passion' – Deep Purple
The 'Purple Passion' is the most dramatic of our varieties: uniformly deep purple, slightly elongated leaves on sturdy stems. As a robust and vigorous purple inch plant, it can even tolerate an occasional missed watering, and rewards a bright location with foliage that's almost black-purple. In summer it produces delicate pink flowers – a beautiful contrast.
Price: €3.00 – €5.00
💜 View Purple Passion in the Shop
Insider Tip: Callisia repens 'Pink Lady' (Turtle Vine)
Not a true Tradescantia, but a very close relative from the same plant family: the Callisia repens 'Pink Lady' – also called "Turtle Vine" – delights with tiny, waxy leaves in pink, green, and cream, with burgundy-colored undersides. It grows denser and finer than its larger relatives and is perfect for small hanging baskets, terrariums, or as underplanting.
Price: €3.00 – €5.00
All Varieties Compared
| Variety | Leaf Color | Growth | Special Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zebrina 'Pink Paradise' | Pink, purple | trailing, fast | most intense pink coloring | €3.50 – €9.50 |
| Zebrina 'Smit Silver Sicilian' | Green, purple, silver | trailing, fast | metallic shimmer | €3.00 – €9.50 |
| Albiflora 'Nanouk' | Green, pink, white | compact-bushy | Bestseller, thick leaves | €3.00 – €9.50 |
| Albiflora 'Albovittata' | Green, white | trailing | timeless classic | €3.00 – €5.00 |
| Fluminensis 'Yellow Hill' | Green, yellow | trailing, delicate | rare yellow variegation | €5.00 – €9.50 |
| Pallida 'Purple Passion' | Deep purple | sturdy, trailing | pink flowers in summer | €3.00 – €5.00 |
| Callisia 'Pink Lady' | Pink, green, cream | fine, densely creeping | mini leaves, ideal for terrariums | €3.00 – €5.00 |
Care: How to Keep Your Tradescantia Colorful
Location & Light
Bright, but without harsh midday sun – an east- or west-facing window is ideal. Important to know: the more light, the more intense the leaf coloring. If the plant is kept too dark, variegated varieties like Nanouk or Pink Paradise will turn green and the stems will become long and thin (etiolation).
Watering
Let the top layer of substrate dry out slightly between waterings. Tradescantias like to be evenly and lightly moist, but tolerate short dry spells much better than waterlogging. Water more sparingly in winter.
Substrate & Fertilizer
Regular, well-draining houseplant soil is sufficient – ideally loosened up with a bit of perlite or pumice. From spring to fall, apply a weakly dosed liquid fertilizer every 2–4 weeks.
Pruning
Regularly trimming the stems keeps the plant compact and bushy. The cut stem tips are also perfect material for new plants – more on that shortly.
Propagation via Cuttings – It Couldn't Be Easier
Tradescantias are among the easiest houseplants to propagate, period. Here's how it works:
- Cut a stem: Cut a healthy stem with 3–5 leaf nodes just below a node.
- Remove the lower leaves: Pinch off the bottom 1–2 leaves so the nodes are exposed.
- Root it: Either place it in a glass of water (roots visible after about 1–2 weeks) or insert it directly into slightly moist substrate.
- Pot it up: Once the roots are 2–3 cm long, plant it in soil. Several cuttings per pot immediately create a nice, full-looking plant.
That's exactly why we offer almost all our Tradescantias as affordable cuttings as well – ideal if you want to collect several varieties or give them as gifts. The success rate of Tradescantia cuttings taking root is extremely high.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Tradescantia Toxic to Pets?
The plant sap can cause skin and mucous membrane irritation in cats and dogs. It's best to hang the plant out of reach of your pets – as a hanging plant, that's its best spot anyway.
Why Is My Tradescantia Losing Its Color?
The cause is almost always insufficient light. Move the plant to a brighter spot (without direct midday sun), and the new leaves will show vibrant colors again.
Why Do the Lower Leaves Turn Brown and Dry?
This is normal for Tradescantias: older stems become bare from the bottom over time. The solution is regular pruning – and you can grow new plants right away from the cut stem tips.
Cutting or Rooted Plant – Which Should I Order?
Cuttings are cheaper and, with Tradescantias, almost guaranteed to take root – perfect for collecting many varieties. Rooted plants in a 5.5 cm pot are decorative right away and the safe choice if you want to get started immediately.
Craving some color?
Discover all our Tradescantias and many more rarities in our shop – lovingly packaged and delivered quickly. From an order value of €50, we ship free of charge within Germany!