Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata

Tradescantia sillamontana 'Variegata'

€8,00
Skip to product information
Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata
  • Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata
  • Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata
Tradescantia sillamontana 'Variegata'

Tradescantia sillamontana 'Variegata'

€8,00
pda222
Organic
Sustainable
Locally grown

Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata is a semi-succulent perennial in the Commelinaceae family, prized for its fuzzy, silvery-green leaves with creamy-white variegation and soft purple-pink flowers .

Native to northeastern Mexico, this cultivar is a heat- and drought-tolerant ornamental, perfect for rockeries, borders, and containers, where its trailing or spreading habit adds texture and color.

The soft, silvery fuzz on Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata helps protect it from intense sun and arid conditions, giving it a naturally “cozy blanket” appearance, which gardeners love for both texture and resilience.

The white hairs covering the surface of her leaves allow her to limit the evapo-transpiration by which plants control their temperature, but in very high temperatures, expose themselves to dehydration.

    • Indoor in Pots - the foliage will remain the same throughout the winter season.
    • Outdoors in Garden boxes - the foliage will fall off during the winter months and return in full force in the spring.

The growth of the Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata is slow - especially compared to Tradescantia pallida or Tradescantia zebrina

Learn more about the Tradescantia family:

Other Names:

I would like to propose 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' to the committe, as an official name for Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata and see where it lands.
Flower Color: Purple, Green

Preferred Soil Type: Well-drained, Sandy

Sunlight: Full sun, Partial shade

Hardiness Zone: Zero

Growth Habit: Spreading

Origine: Mexico

🪴9x9 cm

🚂 Ships across EU

🌱 Grown in our nursery
€8,00

👯‍♀️Rapid vegetative growth.
✂️Easy propagation
💦Moderate drought tolerance
🕷️Pest resilience
Gardening Tips
The Botany

Floral Morphology: Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata

Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata flowers are small, actinomorphic, and trimerous, with three purple petals.

Flowers are borne in clusters (cymes) at the tips of stems and are short-lived, often opening for a single day but produced in succession to provide extended bloom.

Leaves are alternate, simple, and often lanceolate, with a succulent or slightly fleshy texture in some species. Many cultivars have variegated or purple-tinged foliage, adding ornamental value even when the plant is not flowering.

Reproductive Biology

Tradescantia species are hermaphroditic, capable of self-pollination, though insects such as bees and hoverflies are the primary pollinators.

Fruits are capsular, splitting into three sections containing small seeds.

Some species also propagate readily via stem cuttings, which root easily in soil or water, making Tradescantia a favorite for vegetative propagation and indoor plant enthusiasts.

Ecology & Adaptations

Tradescantia thrives in temperate to subtropical environments, so in France we're limited to using them in:

  • Container and indoor gardening: Compact and trailing varieties are ideal for pots and hanging baskets.
The Myth

The hairs that cover the surface of the leaves on the Tradescantia sillamontana Variegata are called trichomes (/ˈtraɪkoʊmz, ˈtrɪkoʊmz/; from Ancient Greek τρίχωμα (tríkhōma) 'hair') are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists.

And just as with mammal hair (for beauty, for camouflage, f0r attraction, for insulation, for distraction), the trichomes have a variety of different functions.

We saw limiting evapo-transpiration, but there is also providing insulation from frost, increasing light reflectance in desert species, protecting the cell tissue... and more

Trichomes are really interesting - doing a deep dive will only make you a happier plant owner.

Tradescantia, commonly called spiderwort, is a genus in the Commelinaceae family, comprising around 75–90 species of perennial herbs.

Native to the Americas, especially Central and South America, these plants are prized for their vivid foliage and delicate, three-petaled flowers, making them favorites for borders, rockeries, and indoor displays.

The genus was named by John Tradescant the Elder, a 17th-century English botanist and gardener who introduced many North American plants to Europe.

In fact, Tradescantia was one of the first North American plants introduced to European gardens in the 17th century, and some cultivars are now so widespread they are considered naturalized in many temperate regions worldwide.

You may also like