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Species library › Tradescantia › Tradescantia tenella
Other Partly documented

Tradescantia tenella

A small, delicate creeping spiderwort from southern Brazil, north-eastern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It grows in moist, partly shaded places in and around Atlantic forest and subtropical woodland, and wants even moisture, bright shade and a cool but frost-free winter.

At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Specific ecological notes for this species are thin. Like related small Tradescantia of the region, it is recorded from shaded, damp ground at forest edges, along streams, on mossy rocks and in clearings, spreading by rooting stems. This profile builds on the measured range and what is known for the genus.

Recorded from sea level to about 1360 m, median about 680 m, including the cooler southern Brazilian plateau.

Brazil SouthBrazil SoutheastArgentina NortheastParaguayUruguay

🔒 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

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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.