Purple Heart, Purple Queen, Wandering Jew 'Purple Heart' (Tradescantia pallida)

Your little inset photo is great! From a distance it looks like a purple river.

MartyJo, the inset photo was taken farther back showing how the Purple heart flowed down the embankment. But the large photo showed the foliage closer up. I did not want to upload 2 photos that almost showed the same thing and take up space on the server. So I decided to inset it. It does indeed look like a purple river. I am glad you liked it. Thanks for your comments.

That is very striking! I wonder how long it took to grow that thickly. Neat way to conserve the soil. I like the "purple river" description also! Thanks for posting it.

roshana, this plant grows like weeds here. Once established it is very hard to dig up. It takes very little water once the roots are set. I have no idea how long it took to fill in this area but it is a very, very fast grower. I do have a present for you as soon as I can get them packaged and sent! Thanks for your comments. :o)

htop, All I can say is- WOW!! And I see that you live in Texas- DOUBLE WOW!!! I used to have a beautiful Wandering Jew... I was only 14 when I purchased it for $4 in a hanging pot at a local flee-market. During this time I lived in Southern California. Even though it flourished for most of my ownership, I could see that it was in need of more light. I placed it in our backyard (in June)- and took a trip to Minnesota for a few months. My mother tended it while I was gone, but unfortunetly apon my return- It had been fried to a crisp in the summer sun/heat. My question to you is: How does this one thrive so well in such a sunny/warm location?

I am sorry to hear that you lost yours which I am sure made you very sad. It's roots grow very deep. Some types can't handle full sun. Indeed it can become very hot here. But, this type of wandering jew just loves it. It does have a prettier color of purple with a little less sun exposure. Thanks for your comments.

The picture that you are showing is not Tradescantia, it is Setcreasea pallida. Setcreasea pallida is usually called "Purple heart" as a common name. Tradescantia fluminensis is refered to as "Wandering Jew" and is much more aggressive than Setcreasea pallida "Purple Heart". Setcreasea has purple to pink flowers, Tradescantia has white flowers which are not prominant.

Daniel_H, I thought that Setcreasea pallida was a synonym for Tradescantia pallida. I will check out the information you have provided when I return home from visiting my relatives within the next few days. Thanks for your comments.