Tradescantia White Velvet is a wonderful plant with green leaves covered in white hairs, it can be grown with minimum effort.
You can grow Tradescantia White Velvet in your home as a trailing vine or as a compact, bushy plant. Whatever way you choose, it will look damn beautiful. Read what it likes and dislikes in this post.
Common Names: White Velvet, Hairy Wandering Jew, Cobweb Spiderwort, White Gossamer Plant
Botanical Name: Tradescantia sillamontana
USDA Zones: 10-12
Read: Growing Tradescantia in Water
Tradescantia White Velvet Profile
Native to Mexico, Tradescantia White Velvet is an evergreen perennial from the Commelinaceae family. It produces stem-grasping, oval, olive-gray-green foliage covered in white-silver velvety hairs. This plant can grow up to 12 inches tall with 16-20 inches of width. During summer, white velvet produces clusters of tiny, bright pink-purple blooms.
This easy-to-grow plant can be grown as a groundcover in warm winter regions. However, it is not winter hardy and can be planted as a houseplant or in pots.
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How to Propagate Tradescantia White Velvet
You can grow this Tradescantia easily from 4-6 inches long stem cutting from a healthy plant. You root it in water or directly in well-draining soil. Keep the pot in bright, indirect light.
Read: Growing and Propagating Pothos in Water
Ideal Growing Conditions for Tradescantia White Velvet
Light
Grow this beautiful vine in bright indirect sunlight or partial shade in your home. The more indirect light it gets, the more compact and silver it stays.
Soil
Tradescantia is not fussy about soil, so you can use all-purpose, well-draining, acidic, loamy soil. As this plant loves moist conditions, you can amend the soil with peat moss or vermiculite.
Water
White velvet has low watering needs, but it prefers moist soil; don’t confuse it with allowing the plant to sit in water. Avoid overwatering and always check the soil moisture with your finger; if it feels dry to the touch, it’s time to hydrate the plant. Reduce the watering in the winter.
Tip: Never try overhead watering.
Temperature and Humidity
It prefers temperatures between 60-80 F; while growing outdoors, Tradescantia does well in mild climates that won’t go below 50 F.
Humid air makes your white velvet healthy. Select a spot in your that is humid, such as a bathroom or kitchen. You can use a humidifier as well.
Tip: If you notice dry or brown edges on the foliage, then it’s a sign to improve humidity around the plant.
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Tradescantia White Velvet Care
Fertilizer
Feed the plant using a diluted balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks in the growing season with 1/4 strength. Avoid applying fertilizer in fall and winter.
Pruning
To promote bushiness, pinch the growing tips of the plant. Cutting the plant when flowering is done can encourage reblooming and prevent self-seeding. Remove dead and yellow leaves regularly.
Note: If you don’t pinch the tips, the plant will take a trailing habit.
Repotting
When the plant outgrows the current pot, move it to a new, slightly 1-2 inches larger container. Use fresh soil for repotting.
Pests and Diseases
Reseeding can be a problem that you can prevent by cutting the plant after blooming has been done.
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