Tradescantia
Tradescantia zebrina — purple leaves, pink-silver racing stripes, and no brakes.
Origin
Section titled “Origin”A ground cover from the shaded forest floors of southern Mexico and Central America, and it behaves like one in a pot: every stem crawls to the rim and roots at each joint. Pink-silver racing stripes over deep purple, wine-purple underneath.
Location
Section titled “Location”Bright indirect light; some gentle sun deepens the purple. The color is a light meter — washed-out leaves mean too little, scorched patches too much. A summer outside in bright shade suits it; bring it in well before cold nights, and hang it out of reach — the sap can irritate skin and pets.
Watering
Section titled “Watering”Water when the top few centimeters have dried, drier in winter. Half-strength balanced liquid feed every four weeks, April to September — overfeeding fades the stripes.
Pruning
Section titled “Pruning”Pinch long runners back to just above a joint, March to October; the stem branches there, which keeps the pot dense instead of bald in the middle. Every pinched tip roots in water or moist mix within days.
Repotting
Section titled “Repotting”Yearly in early spring — or skip it: when a pot grows tired and leggy, a handful of fresh cuttings planted back into the same pot replaces it outright.