Purple heart
Also called Purple queen, Setcreasea.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 7 days in the growing season, every 16 in winter |
| Pets | Cats toxic, dogs toxic |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Inch Plant entry.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. The ASPCA entry for the inch plant is Tradescantia fluminensis, a close relative, listed as toxic to cats, dogs and horses with dermatitis the clinical sign. Treat this species the same way. Keep it where an animal that eats houseplants cannot reach it, and speak to a vet if one does. In South Africa telephone the Poison Information Helpline on 0861 555 777; in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
The colour is the whole reason for it, and the colour is entirely a function of light. In a bright window or outside in summer this is the deepest violet of any common plant, stems and leaves together, with small pink flowers at the tips. Two metres from the same window it turns a dull green and stretches. It is semi succulent, so it forgives dry spells, and it roots so readily from any broken piece that most people acquire theirs from a friend rather than a shop. Cut it back hard whenever it goes bare at the base. It is not, despite the ease and the trailing habit, a plant for a home with a cat that chews.
Ailments observed
| White or yellow markings fading to plain green | Not enough light, so the purple fades towards green. Move it into direct sun. The faded growth stays faded, so cut it back and let the new growth come in coloured. |
|---|---|
| Long bare stems and pale new leaves | Long bare stems with leaves only at the tips. Pinch it back hard. Every piece you remove roots in water in a week, so a leggy plant is really a free plant. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner
Neighbouring entries
African violet
Streptocarpus ionanthusAfrican violet care that keeps it flowering all year, with why you water from below, what makes the pale rings on the leaves, and how to root a single leaf.
Alocasia
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