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mfyss

Tradescantia zebrina

mfyss
9 years ago

The three detached leaves, center below, are T. zebrina. The potted plant is sometimes id'ed as T. fluminensis which has flowers with white petals; this one has not yet blossomed. Any opinion on the identity of the plant in the pot? Yale

Comments (12)

  • dennis253
    9 years ago

    I think your ID of (variegated) T. fluminensis is right. I also have both plants. (I find the zebrina is not frost hardy at all, while T. fluminensis is more cold tolerant, but T. fluminensis only reliably survives the winter if I bring the pot inside during several nights of under 33 degrees.)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    9 years ago

    I agree, variegated T. fluminensis. Hard to keep, reverts to plain green every time I get some.

  • mfyss
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    My photo is of T. fluminensis. My T. f. variegated has not shown any sign of losing variegation, so far. Troubled by the difference in dimensions/shape of the leaves of the variegate and non-variegate. Yale


  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    8 years ago

    Your last pic looks like T. cerinthoides. Almost fuzzy? Are the leaves purple on the back?

    upper R corner:


  • mfyss
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I'm glad to say that my photo of the non-variegate is not T. cerinthoides, because Tiffany very kindly identified that plant for me (I called it T. 'Red Hill before she helped me'). My photo shows some non-variegate relatives; from left to right, T. cerinthoides, T. 'Purple Plush' (from Glasshouse Works), another Purple Plush, T. fluminensis (not?), T. fluminensis (probably not). The last two names were on two different plants from Exotic Angel. All are fuzzy with short hair and solid purple below. T. c. and T. 'P. P.' have distinctively different leaves. Photo does make 2 and 5 look alike, but they are not. Seem to have strayed from Foliage Plants. Yale


  • mfyss
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    The leaf on the right is known as Baby Bunny Bellies, and sometimes also Speedy Jenny. All of the leaves in my photo are hairy; T. fluminensis is not (it is glabrous). Yale

  • mfyss
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    The photo shows a likely T. fluminensis, fairly hairless. Getting back to the first photo, T. fluminensis variegate, it does not appear to be T. fluminensis albiflora or 'Albovittata', but seems closest to T. f. 'Tricolor' (but lacks pink). Lots of common names for Tradescantia, and it is international and not just Exotic Angel. Yale


  • mfyss
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    T. fluminensis in bloom. The variegate in the first photo has not bloomed. Yale


  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    8 years ago

    That's pretty! I don't think I've seen purple stems on T. fluminensis. Here's my latest bunches of it that I appropriated from an abandoned house about 2 wks ago. I love to put it in the holes I've made on the sides of hanging pots.




  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    7 years ago

    Yale, I hope this message finds you, and finds you well.

    I found the 'baby bunny bellies' plant you mentioned. I can't find any info about it except that it's a cultivar (but of what?) It's so similar to T. cerinthoides, I wonder if it's a sport of it.


    Since my last post, T. fluminensis on the ground went completely wild. I've about had my fill of it after pulling up about a half dozen 5-gallon buckets of it. Great compost fodder though, I didn't get rid of all of it, I can really use the organic matter.

    I'm wondering if your last pic with the fuchsia stems is Tripogandra serrulata AKA purple scimitars. I've put a ton of pics of it here:
    http://garden.org/plants/view/162014/Pink-Trinity-Tripogandra-serrulata/


  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    7 years ago

    The pics I put yesterday are from a couple months go. BBB has been in the ground for a couple weeks. Starting to look adjusted & ready to really grow.

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