Species library › Tradescantia › Tradescantia cerinthoides
Other Well documented

Tradescantia cerinthoides

A low, somewhat succulent spiderwort from southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina, with thick, often hairy leaves that are purple underneath. It grows in open, sunny to lightly shaded spots on rocky or sandy ground, and copes with cool winters and light frost much better than tropical Tradescantia.

Tradescantia cerinthoides
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open grassland, rocky outcrops, sandy coastal ground and forest edges across the subtropical south of Brazil and the Río de la Plata region. Conditions here come from the measured sites plus what is known for the genus.

Recorded from sea level to about 1,180 m, median around 510 m, mostly on the southern Brazilian plateau and lowlands.

Brazil SouthBrazil SoutheastArgentina Northeast

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Tradescantia cerinthoides? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.