Small-leaf spiderwort

Small-leaf spiderwort: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Creeping or trailing plant with stems of 60 cm and longer; about 60 cm wide in a hanging pot.

Leaves

Small, oval to egg-shaped, 3–5 cm, glossy and somewhat fleshy; green or variegated with white, cream or pink, purple underneath in some forms.

Stem

Succulent and rather brittle, with clear nodes that root easily.

Flowers

Small white flowers with three petals, now and then at the shoot tips; not the reason for growing it.

Sap

The watery sap in leaves and stems can irritate the skin.

Plants: March–April · Pruning: March–September

Why grow it?

• One of the easiest and fastest-growing trailing plants for indoors.
• Lovely in a hanging pot or on top of a tall cupboard, with trails hanging far over the edge.
• Variegated cultivars brighten up an interior; green forms tolerate a little less light.
• Every piece of stem roots: ideal for sharing, giving away or filling the pot again.
• Can go outside in summer in a hanging basket or container in light shade.
• Evergreen and attractive all year.

Small-leaf spiderwort: where does it grow best?

• Light without fierce sun: by an east- or west-facing window, or a little way back from a south-facing one. Variegated forms need more light to keep their markings.
• In too dark a spot the stems become long and bare and variegated leaves lose their markings.
• Room temperature of 15–24 °C; in winter it can be cooler, but not below 5 °C.
• Outdoors from mid-May to September in a hanging basket or container in a sheltered, lightly shaded spot.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 5 °C

Goes well with

• Spider plant: Just as easy and lovely in a hanging pot, with narrow, striped leaves.
• Devil’s ivy: Larger trailing leaves next to the fine stems of the spiderwort.
• Ivy: Also trails nicely over the edge and also tolerates a cooler spot.
• Peace lily: Calm, large leaves and white flowers for the same bright spot out of fierce sun.

Small-leaf spiderwort: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Plant or repot in March or April, when the pot is full of roots.
2. Choose a hanging pot or a wide pot with a drainage hole, so it holds plenty of stems.
3. Use ordinary houseplant compost, if you like with some perlite for better drainage.
4. Plant several rooted cuttings together in one pot, about 5 cm apart, for a full plant.
5. Water until it runs out of the bottom and let it drain well.

Care

Watering

Keep the compost lightly moist and let the top centimetre dry out between waterings. It copes with a short dry spell, but not with wet feet.

Feeding

From April to September, liquid houseplant feed every two to three weeks at half strength. Too much feed gives long, floppy stems.

Cutting back

Shorten long stems regularly and push the pieces back into the pot: that keeps it full.

Green shoots

On variegated cultivars, cut out all-green shoots, or they will take over the plant.

Renewing

After two or three years it gets bare at the base: then start again from fresh cuttings.

Tip: On variegated cultivars, cut out all-green shoots straight away and give enough light. That way the white or pink markings are kept.

Small-leaf spiderwort: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–September.

When: Cut it back regularly throughout the growing season, from March to September. That keeps it full and compact.

How:

• Cut long or bare stems just above a node; new side shoots grow from there.
• Push the cut pieces of about 10 cm straight back into the pot: they root and fill it out again.
• On variegated forms, remove all-green shoots right back to where they start.
• Remove dried, brown leaves at the base.

Caution: Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin: the sap can cause itching and redness.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

Throughout the growing season: cut pieces of stem 8–10 cm long, remove the lower leaves and stand them in a glass of water or put them straight into moist compost. They root within one to two weeks.

Layering

Lay a stem over a small pot of moist compost and press a node lightly into it. Once it has rooted, cut it free from the parent plant.

Small-leaf spiderwort: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: below 5 °C it suffers damage. Bring plants that stood outside back in during September.
• Indoors it grows more slowly in winter. Give it a bright spot, cooler if you like, around 12–16 °C.
• Water less and do not feed from October to March.
• Dry air from central heating causes brown leaf tips and spider mite: do not hang it above a radiator.

Diseases and pests

• Long, bare stems: Too little light or an old plant. Move it somewhere brighter, cut it back more often and push cuttings into the pot.
• Variegated leaves turn green: Too little light, or green shoots taking over. Move it somewhere brighter and cut out the green shoots.
• Stem rot: Black, soft stems at the base in wet compost. Water less and start again with healthy tips.
• Spider mite: Fine yellow speckles and webbing, especially in dry air. Rinse under the shower and raise the humidity.
• Aphids and mealybug: On young tips or in the leaf axils. Rinse off with water or cut off the affected tips.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Bright spot, little water, no feed.
• February: Rest. Remove dried leaves.
• March: Repot. Cut back long stems. Start feeding.
• April: Take cuttings and push them into the pot.
• May: Growth. After mid-May it can go outside in a hanging basket.
• June: Cut back regularly. Remove green shoots on variegated forms.
• July: Growth. Water in hot weather.
• August: Cut back and take cuttings.
• September: Bring plants in from outside. Last feed.
• October: Water less. Stop feeding.
• November: Rest. Bright spot, away from heating.
• December: Rest. Little water.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The sap in the leaves and stems of tradescantia can irritate the skin: in sensitive people it causes itching and redness, and dogs and cats that often brush through or against the plant or chew it sometimes get red, itchy skin, mostly on the belly, paws and muzzle, or an upset mouth and stomach. Hang or place it out of reach of pets, wear gloves when pruning, taking cuttings and repotting, and wash your hands afterwards. In the garden, do not let dogs lie in a bed of spiderwort. Put surplus stems of small-leaf spiderwort in the green-waste bin or on the compost, never in the wild. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The genus Tradescantia is named after John Tradescant, father and son, English gardeners and plant collectors of the 17th century.
• The species name fluminensis means ‘of Rio de Janeiro’.
• In New Zealand and parts of Australia it is a troublesome invasive plant that covers the forest floor in a thick carpet and smothers young trees.