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Tradescantia Zebrina “Silver Inch Plant”

The Silver Inch Plant, or Tradescantia zebrina, is a beautiful houseplant with unique patterned leaves and a subtle pop of colour.

Latin name
Tradescantia zebrina

Pronunciation
(“trad-ess-SKANT-eeh-ah zeb-REE-nah”)

Common name
Tradescantia zebrina

Origin
Mexico, Central America and Columbia

Tradescantias are attractive plants that are often displayed as trailing plants from hanging pots or over the edges of pots on shelves. However, in the wild they are creeping, mat-forming ground cover plants that can created fairly dense thickets.

The foliage is strikingly patterned, with a deep magenta underside and a zebra-striped top surface of silver and blue-green. The surface of the leaf is often slightly metallic in appearance and reflects light quite effectively. The stems are semi-succulent and small, pink-purple three-petalled flowers are produced.

Tradescantias are named in honour of John Tradescant – gardener to Charles I, although it is not known whether he ever saw one.

Did you know?

The name “zebrina” refers to the plant’s zebra-like striped pattern, which gives each leaf a metallic sheen under sunlight.

Mildly toxic to pets. Its sap can cause skin irritation and, if ingested, mild digestive upset such as drooling or vomiting in cats and dogs.

caring for your plant

Light

These plants are tolerant of low light, but well in slightly brighter conditions, but not direct sunlight.

Watering

Despite being slightly succulent, these plants do well in moist (but not wet) soil. They will tolerate irregular watering.

Pruning

The vines can be trimmed to maintain a good habit and encourage branching from the buds at the leaf nodes. Cuttings can be easily rooted to make new plants.

Feeding

A weak solution of fertilizer should be added to the water at every watering.

pest & diseases

Generally pest free, but if kept high up, where the air may be warmer and less humid, you should look out for two-spotted spider mites. Other pests, such as mealybugs, might be found and they should be removed when seen.

Our plants are grown in Ecoponic, an alternative to soil. Officially known as a vulkaponic substrate, it replaces traditional compost with a clean, mineral-based medium that helps protect peatlands.

According to the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, “A loss of only 5% of UK peatland carbon would be equal to the UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.” As well as storing carbon, the natural wetlands where peat is found are critical to the survival of plants and wildlife. Ecoponic also improves plant health and uses water more efficiently.

Find out more about Ecoponic here.

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Did you know?

Research from the University of Exeter found that offices with plants can increase productivity by up to 15% while also improving concentration and job satisfaction.