Moses-in-the-Cradle
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called boat lily, boatlily, Christ in the manger, cradle lily, men in a boat, Moses in a Basket, Moses in his cradle, Moses in the bulrushes, Moses in the cradle, Moses on a raft, Oyster Plant, prayer plant, purple-leaved spiderwort and three men in a boat.
Moses-in-the-Cradle is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Rhoeo spathacea. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- High light 150 fcClemson Extension, filed as Rhoeo spathacea · read 13 September 2026Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drained or Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Sand, Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- In a container, water once the soil is dry 1 to 2 inches down, and water less in winter.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026During active growth, water moderately and give a liquid feed monthly. Water less in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- During active growth, give moderate water and a monthly liquid feed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- This low-maintenance plant can flower at any time of year and is easy to propagate from seed, division or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Increase from stem-tip cuttings or division.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Take off flowered stems once faded.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by thrips, vine weevil, aphids, mealybugs and red spider mite. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Tradescantia spathacea, also called the oyster plant, boatlily or 'Moses-in-the-cradle', is an herb in the Commelinaceae family which was first described in 1788. It is native to Central America.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- S. Mexico to GuatemalaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Southern Mexico to GuatemalaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026C AmericaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Ground Cover, Herbaceous Perennial; habit clumping, dense, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 6–12 in; width 12–24 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 1–2 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers blue, white; blooms in fall, spring, summer, winterNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in spring, summer, autumn and winterRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Tradescantia
More of the Commelinaceae family
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.