Tradescantia zebrina 'Multicolor'

Rapidly growing herbaceous perennial, with beautiful pink flowers and unusual multicolored leaves, used as a hanging plant in pots or as a ground cover, outdoors in mild climates.

It is a very easy plant to care for, magnificent in a pot, even for small spaces and dimly lit apartments. In the open ground it forms very dense carpets.

Classification
Common name: Tradescantia pendula, Zebrina pendula, Wandering Jew
Genus and species: Tradescantia zebrina
Cultivar: 'Multicolor'
Family: Commelinaceae.

Characteristics
Description of flowers: Small, three-petalled.
Flower color: Pink.
Flowering period: Intermittently throughout the year.
Leaves: Fleshy, lanceolate leaves with stripes of 4 colours, fuchsia, silver, green and dark purple, in stark contrast. They change color depending on the growth stage and the characteristic is particularly evident on adult buds.
Perfume: -
Dimensions: The plant expands indefinitely, growing depending on the space and land it has available: where it crawls and takes root, carpeting the ground. Height about 20 cm.

Cultivation
Exposure: Sun, partial shade, shade (with too much shade however it tends not to flower and lose its bright colours).
Soil: Well drained.
Irrigation: As needed, without excesses or stagnation.
Frost resistance: USDA 9

Care
Pruning: Trimming to trim the plant, during the period of active growth (spring-summer).
Propagation: From cuttings with more than 20°C.

Notes of interest
Herbal properties: The aqueous extract of the leaves is studied for anti-tumor properties.
Awards: Plant RHS Award Garden Merit (AGM).