Hi All, My colleague has gone on vacation for a few weeks and left me to look after her indoor plant. (Please see attched pictures) Having successfully managed to kill two young rose bushes recently, (Accidently, not deliberately) I am concerned that I may kill this one with over-zealous kindness. She said she dd not know the name of it but liked the colours. Can you please tell me: a) the name of the plant, (just in case I somehow manage to murder it :) so I can replace it) and b) how often it should be watered/fed? (the soil is currently damp, but she told me she thinks she over watered it). Being summer here, we get some very hot days and even though mon-fri it is in air conditioned comfort, from friday night to monday morning it is very warm (28+ degrees C). I hope I have given you all pertinent information to help you answer my questions. Thank you in advance Michael .
I think it may be Tradescantia spathacea cultivar. Tradescantia spathacea 'Tricolor' maybe? Not 100% on this though.
tradescantia spathacea is the correct id. common names are 'oyster plant' and/or 'moses in a boat'. tradescantias consist of over 70 varieties - the wandering jews and the spiderworts. setcreasea was merged with tradescantias a year or so ago... michael, keep the soil moist - not soggy - just evenly moistened and keep it in a spot where it gets some sun. it will do very well in sun; will also do okay with some shade too (it'll lose a little of the brilliance in the coloring over time - a couple of weeks shouldn't matter too much, though). keep it inside or out - your choice. since it is summertime there, i think outside on a porch or other area that gets some shade in the late afternoon (sunny the rest of the time) would be a good spot for it. if you DO opt for keeping it outside, remember to check the moisture of the soil more often...plants in pots kept outside (especially a small pot like that one is in) tend to dry out pretty quickly in the heat of summer. so, check it every couple of days and water if needed.
