How to Care for Inch Plants (Tradescantia)

Photo Credit
Junrong/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Tradescantia spp.
Plant Type
Sun Exposure
Soil pH
Bloom Time
Flower Color
Hardiness Zone

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A fast grower and easy-care houseplant

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Inch plants (Tradescantia) are popular houseplants and outdoor container plants with attractive purple- and silver-striped foliage. They can survive any indoor environment and are perfect for the wanna-be-green thumb! Learn how to grow and care for these easy-care, fast growers.

Why is it Called an Inch Plant?

Inch plants are creeping plants in the Tradescantia zebrina (pronounced trad-es-KAN-tee-uh zeb-REE-nuh) genus. They are fast-growing and have trailing stems. Other common names include variegated spiderwort.

Leaf nodes on the stem are supposed to be 1 inch apart, hence the common name inch plant. Each segment can produce a new plant, so Tradescantia can easily start from cuttings that readily root in moist soil. 

While Tradescantia is a perennial plant in its native Mexico, it is treated as a houseplant in North America and commonly grown in a hanging pot. 

It is considered an invasive species in warm regions outside of its home range (including parts of the southeastern U.S.). For this reason, we recommend growing inch plants indoors or restricting them to containers outdoors. 

Tradescantia zebrina has beautiful trailing stems for a hanging basket. Credit: Ana Sha

Planting

  • Grow in all-purpose indoor potting mix in either a pot or hanging basket. 
  • Select a location with filtered sun. Keep inch plants out of direct sunlight and out of dark areas, which will cause them to become leggy.
  • The room temperature should be average (between 55° and 75°F).

Growing

  • Water deeply, but allow the soil to dry partially before watering again. This plant doesn’t like to dry out, but it also doesn’t like to be constantly wet.
  • Water less during the winter months, which is the plant’s resting period.
  • Provide fertilizer twice a month in the spring and summer; don’t fertilize in fall and winter.
  • Pinch back to keep this trailing plant contained and promote bushier foliage.  
  • Removed leggy growth also allows for cuttings that can be used for propagation. 
  • Plants can be pruned back hard every spring and taken outside on a protected patio in the summer.

Harvesting

Inch plants can easily be propagated by cuttings. 

  1. Snip off a piece of the plant (the cutting should ideally be 3 to 4 inches long) and place the cut end in water. 
  2. In about a week (or less), the cutting should produce roots. 
  3. A week or so after that, plant the cutting in a pot according to the planting guidelines above.

Learn more about propagating houseplants.

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Pests/Diseases

  • No serious insect or disease problems.
  • Aphids tend to be a problem on the stems and leaves. Monitor for aphids (and other small insects), as they could become an issue if unchecked. To get rid of them, pinch off the infected stems and spray the plant with water.
  • Root rot and stem rot can occur in soggy soil.  
  • Note that contact with plant sap causes skin irritations in some individuals.
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann