Tradescantia pallida

[MolecularMan14]

Ive been given an assignment to study the Tradescantia pallida (Purple Heart/purple queen). It's a very strange plant.

I have just a few questions about it-

1. Why exactly do the leaves of the plant turn purple?

2. I've read that it's both tropical, as well as a cactus...where does it normally grow on the globe?

3. How much fertilizer is needed per week (keep in mind that my Purple heart is in a pot with something like 2 other plants of a different species)

All comments/suggestions are helpful.

Appreciate it!

[5614]

Location

The wild form of purple heart grows in eastern Mexico from Tamaulipas to Yucatan.

 

Culture

Rich sandy soils seem to suit it best, but purple heart performs well on coral rock soils too.

Light: Purple heart grows most vigorously and has the richest color in full sun, but it will tolerate some shade.

Moisture: This is a good xeriscape plant. Although purple heart prefers ample moisture, it does well in dry soil and can get by for a long time without rain. It also puts up with occasional overwatering.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. Purple heart can tolerate a touch of frost, but it appreciates a blanket on cold winter nights. It will usually come back from the roots after a moderate freeze.

Propagation: Like other Tradescantias, this species roots easily from cuttings if the stem nodes are firmly buried in sandy soil. It is very easy to transplant.

 

source: http://www.floridata.com/ref/T/trad_pal.cfm

 

just google - Tradescantia pallida - you get 2,960 results, im sure you'll get your answers there somewhere

[MolecularMan14]

Thanks!

[5614]

any time.... esp. now i know you can do some programming!

 

outta interest, where did you learn?

 

coz i was having this talk with odburo on the sfn chatroom about school and IT and we agreed you dont learn much usefull stuff there, so as a 14 yr old, how did you learn your programming skills.... what language to you program in?

 

[soz for the change in topic, but it seems like the original question has been answered]

[MolecularMan14]

the program we use requires a format called GML, its a cross between C++ and Java, or HTML or something of that sort. Its a basic language. but it does require a lot of lines, in the end tho, it gets the job done.

We all learned online and from experience through some people on this GM forums or something. There are a few books about it, but we know enough to program well.

Its a very progressive language, one thing is based off of another, and if you want complex options you need to do it over and over.

[pulkit]

We have lots of purple hearts here in India.

 

In fact I got some growing in my garden too.

 

The purple colouration is due to a pigment (I forget my 9th std biology and hence the pigment name) which performs the function of chlorophyll. Although it is not green in colour, the plant still flourishes as much as is the sunlight available to it.

[MolecularMan14]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks Much!

[MolecularMan14]

What exactly is xeriscape??

[5614]

"A trademark used for a landscaping method that employs drought-resistant plants in an effort to conserve resources, especially water."

 

copied outta a dictionary, basically means, i think, that it doesnt take up a lot of water, and by the looks of the original post, this particular plant, can live without water, doesnt mind it and lives with too much or too little, basically leave it in any random anywhere and it should do fine!

[MolecularMan14]

wow, sounds like you would have to try hard to kill it. should be good for a long term project! Thanks

[5614]

"should be good for a long time project".... you mean that what would happen is you would have this project, leave it to starve for ages, then flood it, starve it etc etc!

 

i find that kinda projects boring, whats the point? i mean like a venus fly trap would be nice, its kills flies, but other than that, who'd want to grow a plant for a project?

 

so does this plant have a variation to the traditional cholroplast and chlorphyll? or just a totaly different chemical?

[pulkit]

It has a different pigment and not chlorophyll.

 

If you are not interested in plants and their study, doesn't mean nobody else isn't

[5614]

It has a different pigment and not chlorophyll.

thanks

 

If you are not interested in plants and their study, doesn't mean nobody else isn't

obviously..... only my middle para [last post] talked about not liking biology or plants.... notice how the para began with "i find that" as in, it applies to me, not others!