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Tradescantia sillamontana is a charming plant that is underutilized in basket culture. Plants are white-villous throughout the leaves and stems. Giving it an appearance of being covered with spider webs. It originally comes from N. E. Mexico.
Blooming Time: Summer-Autumn. Flowers are rose-magenta.
Culture: Tradescantia sillamontana need plenty of light preferably 4 to 6 hours of full sun per day. A suitable compost consists of 1 part peat moss to 1 part loam to 2 part's sand. During the growing season the plant should be watered sparingly. Over-watering tends to rot the rhizomes and lower stems. This plant literally thrives on neglect. Fertilize once during the growing season with 1 half strength houseplant fertilizer. During winter and early spring it is time to repot and trim the plant. In winter water the plant enough to keep the foliage from shriveling. This plant responds well to being cut back to the ground every 2 years.
Propagation: Tradescantia sillamontana is propagated by cuttings of growing shoots, seeds, or division.
Tradescantia sillamontana was featured as Plant of the Week January 29-February 4, 1999
Guide to Past Plants-of-the-Week:
Cal's Plant of the Week was provided as a service by the University of Oklahoma Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology and specifically Cal Lemke, who used to be OU's botany greenhouse grower and an avid gardener at home as well. If the above links don't work, then try the overview site. You may also like to look at the thumbnail index. ©1998-2012 All rights reserved.