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Species library › Tradescantia › Tradescantia pallida
Other Well documented

Tradescantia pallida

A trailing, succulent-stemmed spiderwort from the Gulf coast of eastern Mexico, where it grows among limestone rocks in seasonally dry tropical forest. It is tough and drought tolerant, and the deep purple colour only develops in strong light; in shade it turns green and leggy.

Tradescantia pallida
Photo: Sun Jiao (Interaccoonale), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Tropical deciduous forest, limestone outcrops and rocky roadsides, often at forest edges in strong light.

GBIF records span sea level to about 2,430 m (median 900 m), but many of the higher ones are garden plants in cities.

Mexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico SoutheastMexico Southwest

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

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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 4.0 licence, unmodified.