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'Purple Queen' Purple Spiderwort Tradescantia pallida

Exposure
  • Sun or Shade
Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
Mature Size
18" 2' 46cm 61cm
Height: 12" - 18"
Spread: 12" - 2'
Height: 30cm - 46cm
Spread: 30cm - 61cm
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  • Details

    12 - 18 Inches
    10 - 14 Inches
    12 - 24 Inches
    30cm - 46cm
    25cm - 36cm
    30cm - 61cm

    Features

    'Purple Queen' is well-known to southern gardeners where it is often grown as a low maintenance perennial groundcover in zones 8 and warmer. This plant is surprisingly drought tolerant for such a tropical looking variety, but it also thrives with regular watering so it is easy to pair with many other types of medium vigor annuals in both sun and shade. It also makes an interesting groundcover for rock gardens and spills beautifully over retaining walls. In addition to the purple foliage, it also produces small pink flowers. Deer tend to leave this plant alone due to the sticky sap in its stems. 

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    Adaptable As Houseplant
    Foliage Interest
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Resists: 
    Deer

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    12 - 18 Inches 30cm - 46cm
    Trails Up To: 
    24 Inches 61cm
    Spacing: 
    10 - 14 Inches 25cm - 36cm
    Spread: 
    12 - 24 Inches 30cm - 61cm
    Flower Colors: 
    Pink
    Flower Shade: 
    Pink
    Foliage Colors: 
    Purple
    Foliage Shade: 
    Purple
    Habit: 
    Trailing
    Container Role: 
    Spiller

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Sun or Shade

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Grown for Foliage
    Hardiness Zones: 
    8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Uses: 
    Groundcover
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses: 
    Mass Planting
    Uses Notes: 

    Grow as an annual low maintenance groundcover in cold winter climates or as a perennial groundcover that is root hardy in zones 8 or warmer. Foliage will die back to ground level once temperatures begin falling below freezing. It is a fun plant to use in combination recipes adding a unique dimension to mixed containers. It works well in both sun and shade and can function as a unifying element to give sun and shade plantings a common plant.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    It can tolerate drought conditions once established, but will also thrive when grown with regular moisture. If the plant looks sparse, trimming the plant or pinching off stems tips will encourage branching and a full appearance. You can trim periodically as needed.  If you don't trim the plant back, it will have a more trailing habit. This may be adventatgeous if you are using 'Purple Queen' in a container recipe as it will allow the plant to mix more easily with the other plants and to trail longer over the edge of patio planters and hanging baskets.

    Grow as an annual low maintenance groundcover in cold winter climates or as a perennial groundcover that is root hardy in zones 8 or warmer. Foliage will die back to ground level once temperatures begin falling below freezing.

  • 3 Reviews

    5
    3
    4
    3
    2
    1
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • My son brought a small plant home from his high school ag teacher 20 years ago . It’s still kicking. If a piece breaks off, I just throw it in natural area on pine straw and it miraculously roots and spreads. Mine at our beach house comes from some i pulled out of ground at home and stuck in potting soil to then planted on edge of bed on hill - lots of shade but some sun. The purple is a different shade depending on how much sun it gets.

      Leslie Kornegay
      , North Carolina
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • I still have this growing in a pot on my kitchen table!! When I fertilized this winter the pink flowers went wild !

      Deb Eastman
      , Vermont
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • I still have this growing in a pot on my kitchen table!! When I fertilized this winter the pink flowers went wild !

      Deb Eastman
      , Vermont
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
  • 10 Awards

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2022 Perfect Score Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens
    2022 Best of Species Penn State University
    2022 Top Performer - Beds, Best of Breed - Beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2022 Top Performer - hanging basket, A Top 10 Pick University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
    2022 Top Performer Michigan State University
    2022 Top Performer University of Florida - Fort Lauderdale
    2022 Top Performer Boerner Botanical Garden
    2022 Top Performer University of Delaware
    2022 Top Performer Mississippi State University - Poplarville
    2022 Top Performer University of Tennessee - Knoxville
  • 4 Recipes

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