Purple Heart Plant

Purple Heart Plant Characteristics and Care

The Tradescantia pallida, more commonly called the Purple Heart plant, is native to eastern Mexico. It is part of the herbaceous perennial family and other plants from this same family include spiderworts and wandering Jews.

The Purple Heart plant is a very hearty species and can grow successfully even under extreme circumstances, such as a drought, but it prefers warm climates. Because it quickly grows and spreads across the ground after being planted, it is often used in landscaping projects, although it can be grown indoors just as well.

The plant produces small pale pink flowers at its stem tips, in addition to the gorgeous deep royal purple leaves for which it got its name. The small pale pink flowers that appear during the Purple Heart plants’ blooming season usually die off within 24 hours, but it quickly produces replacement flowers so that it is never totally barren of the pink accents during blooming season.

Blooming season for this unique plant is constant in warm weather conditions, but you will only see the pale pink flowers open up in the early morning hours. After the hot sun shines on them during the afternoon hours, the flowers will close up almost as if they are protecting the inner parts of themselves from the heat.

The Purple Heart plant grows close to the ground, with its average height being only 8 inches tall. It makes a great backdrop for other bushes and plants in landscape designs as it sends out runners and seemingly crawls across the ground creating a purple bed. In landscape and flowerpot arrangements, use silver, pink and white flowers to accent the plant- and orange, red or yellow flowers to contrast it.

Although the seeds from the Purple Heart plant are usually sterile, it can be easily transplanted by cutting off a piece of the stem at the node and then planting the cutting into rich soil. In fact, it is very easy to grow cuttings into mature plants and the parent plant recovers with ease from the cutting and propagation process.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Purple Heart plant should be grown in zones 8 through 11. These zones on the USDA hardiness chart are areas such as Texas, Florida, California and Hawaii, where it never gets any colder than 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost can make the top growth of the plant die off, but the roots will recover and grow when warmer temperatures return.

If growing Purple Heart plants outdoors, keep in mind that it grows the most hardily in full sun, tolerating a small amount of shade during the hottest part of the day. For plant lovers that transplant and grow the Purple Heart indoors in planters and pots, make sure that the plants get at least some sun each day. You should also water them whenever the top inch of soil becomes dry in addition to adding liquid fertilizer once per month.

This wonderful plant is great for those who are not naturally gifted at growing and keeping plants alive. The Purple Heart plant is very easy to grow and looks stunning.

Purple Plants for the Garden

I Want A Purple Garden!

Grandma wants some purple plants for the garden. Most beginner gardeners get stumped. Some people might think that getting purple plants for the garden would be hard, considering the fact that most plants come in green. For a gardening enthusiast however, a purple garden would be a creative way to liven up any given occasion. The following plants are perfect purple plants for the garden, preferably planted during the spring and summer months:

Lavender – these plants bloom in the summer months and its fragrant flowers attract many species of butterflies.
Hydrangea – these plants are in full bloom during summer with flowers forming large pompoms or flattened clusters.
Coral Bells – these plants bloom from late spring to early summer with bell-like blooms. Coral bells prefer moist and well-drained soil.
Crocus – these perennial plants feature cup-like blooms in the early spring. Planting is recommended during autumn.
Clematis – these members of the buttercup family are climbing vines, with blooms appearing in the summer.

Okay, we’re halfway done. Looking for purple plants for the garden isn’t that hard right?

Butterfly Bush – these plants feature tubular flowers which appear in midsummer. Its arching blooms attract hummingbirds and a variety of butterflies.
Bugleweed – these perennial plants from the mint family blooms from late spring to early summer.
Pansy – these plants bloom well in spring or autumn, featuring brightly-colored flowers with five overlapping petals.
Salvia – these plants from the mint family bloom during summer with bright, spiky clusters of tubular flowers.

10. Petunia – these plants of South American origin blooms from late spring to frost and makes excellent ground cover.

With a little imagination plus hard work any gardener can arrange purple plants for the garden. However, it is recommended to purchase purple plants for the garden from a reliable supplier.

Purple Heart Plant