Setcreasea pallida

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DebbieTT

Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 5:49pm

When I look at this I want to sing, I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

So here's a guess for this week.

Edited by DebbieTT: To change title of topic.

Wanda

Location: Puget Sound corridor

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 8:24pm

Oooh, oooh, oooh - I have this plant but don't know what it is. I got mine from a cutting from Rhonda's and she got hers in Victoria and had to pay dearly to bring it across the border. Hurry up and guess this somebody!

-Wanda

KellieD

Location: Oregon, Northern Coast

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 9:01pm

Tradescantia (wandering jew), commonly seen as a houseplant. Is that right enough? Is that even right? Moses in a boat??

Aaaagh!!!!!!!!

I know the darn thing, but just can't think of the proper name!

HarleyLady

Location: Willamette Valley

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 9:07pm

There is a similar plant in Mexico they call Setcreasea pallida , common name Purple Heart. I don't know if they are related.

HarleyLady

Lisa A

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 10:05pm

It's commonly called spiderwort and yes, it is related to the houseplant called Wandering Jew. I think our mystery plant is Tradescantia 'Purple Heart' aka 'Purple Sabre'.

I wasn't familiar with the plant you named, HL, but I looked it up on the 'net. It is remarkably similar. Must be in the same family.

Great photo as always, Debbie!

Lisa A

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jul-05-2005 at 10:08pm

With only a little more digging...

Hah, now I know why they look so similar - the synonym for Setcreasea pallida is Tradescantia pallida. In fact, S. p. is generally classified as T. p. according to this site.

DebbieTT

Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula

Posted: Jul-06-2005 at 10:56am

LOL, you are all right. I am learning more about this plant as I raise it in containers and in the ground. The ones in the garden wintered over and I was pleasantly surprised to find them this spring.

I just ordered Setcreasea pallida 'Kartuz Giant' from Plants Delight Nursery to see how it will grow in my garden and if it can take our winter wet. They say its hardy to 7B.

JeanneK

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jul-06-2005 at 12:54pm

Totally cool plant. I don't think I have ever seen it bloom. Did you take that pic, Deb? Your pic is definitly better than all the pics on the websites mentioned, even better than Plants Delights' pic.

Kartuz Giant is gorgeous.

Jeanne

DebbieTT

Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula

Posted: Jul-06-2005 at 8:35pm

Why thank you so much, Jeanne, yes I took the pic.

Yes I hope it S. 'Kartuz Giant' as goodrgeous as I think it will be. I am excited about the possibility these may be hardy in my garden. It will depend on if the plants need more heat to make more sugars to help them be hardier, or if the winter wet will do them in. I only ordered one for my first experiment, I'll take some cuttings for insurance in case it is done in this winter.

Poppy

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jul-06-2005 at 9:45pm

I had lots of this in a shade garden in CA. As I remember, it died back in the heat of summer and came back every spring. I also remember the stems being juicy, fat and filled with water--much like an iceplant. I'm thinking it would love wet rainy weather, because I remember it as a water hog.

Fern

Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills

Posted: Jul-07-2005 at 7:36am

I got my cutting from my grandfather's yard in Southern California many years ago, so it is special to me. I have it outside in the summer and take a cutting to root inside in the fall. It is very easy to root in water and it will live in water all winter. I did this with a coleus last year too. I'm thinking it would be good to get more tropical container plants that can be overwintered like that. It sure would save money.

Fern

Wanda

Location: Puget Sound corridor

Posted: Jul-07-2005 at 8:28pm

Cool - now I know what it is! And a Tradescantia to boot! I have wonderful memories of our tour visiting a little church in London (St Mary's Lambeth) where they have turned it into the Museum of Garden History. Out back behind the church is a lovely graveyard garden where John Tradescant (the elder) and John Tradescant (the son) are buried. Actually it even holds John Tradescant the grandson who died as a child (in his "spring" per the epitaph). England owes a lot to the Tradescants - they travelled the world over bringing lots of interesting plant material from the new world and Asia - including the Larch, the Lilac, and the Horsechestnut. You can read about the Museum here:

Museum of Garden History

And you can read their eptitaph here:

Know stranger, ere thou pass, beneath this stone
Lye John Tradescant, grandsire, father son;
The last dy'd in his spring' the other two,
Lived till they had travell'd Art and Nature through,
As by their choice collections may appear;
Of what is rare, in land, in sea, in air;
Whilst the (as Homer's Iliad in a nut),
A world of wonders in one closet shut:
These famous Antiquarians that had been
Both Gardiners to the Rose and Lily Queen
Transplanted now themselves, sleep here; and when
Angels shall with their trumpets waken men,
And fire shall purge the world, these hence shall rise,
And change this Garden for a Paradise."

Was this more information than you wanted to know? Sorry! I can't wait to go back to England - even after todays tragic events on the news.

-Wanda

DebbieTT

Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula

Posted: Jul-07-2005 at 10:50pm

Hi Poppy, It probably likes a lot of water as you pointed out, but our wet cold weather in winter will be another story. Mine is in very well-drained soil, so that might do the trick.

Also a lot of people don't realize that because of our cooler climate, plants do not produce as much sugars as they do in hotter areas, making some plants less hardy here and can die at temps higher than if they were growing in the warmer California and the same cold temps hit the plant. Plus the wet cold soils are another thing we have to factor in. But heck, sometimes it just makes it fun to try plants out where you don't expect them to survive, and the thrill of finding them in the garden come spring is worth some losses of other plants that don't make it.

DebbieTT

Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula

Posted: Jul-07-2005 at 10:51pm

Thanks Wanda for the great information, I enjoyed it.

I am going to move this thread to the Rainy Side forum since a great discussion has followed the guessing.

cjmiller

Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley

Posted: Jul-08-2005 at 12:23pm

I bought a purple Tradescantia this spring and put it into a large pot with a couple other plants, within a week some darn slug decapitated it! In great frustration I jammed the severed head back into the pot and both of them just kept growing! So now I have two.

I am happy to know more about it's history and relatives, because it seemed so familiar but was so much larger than my houseplant that is green leafed with pink undersides.

Carol

basilgirl

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jul-08-2005 at 8:32pm

I have been growing this plant for years starting as a house plant and now outside. good plant as a color accent! I find it does well in medium light and good drainage.

I also find for overwintering, if exposed,they die, if sheltered, the roots over winter, i think the are croumulus. sorry about the spelling. and may have the wrong word-sounds right.

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