Purple Heart
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Moses in the Basket, Purple Queen, Purple Spiderwort, Purpleheart, Purplequeen and wandering Jew.
Purple Heart 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: Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but 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.
H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; 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
- During active growth water moderately; in winter water sparingly.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings give the best results for propagation.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring or summer, root softwood stem-tip cuttings in water or peat-free cutting compost, then move them into potting compost that is loam-based and peat-free.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pinch out growing tips for bushier growth, and remove all-green foliage.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by aphids, mealybugs and black vine weevil.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Can 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 pallida is a species of spiderwort native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. It is a perennial herbaceous species with a trailing habit. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea', commonly called purple heart or purple queen or wandering Jew, is widely grown as a houseplant, outdoor container plant, or a garden groundcover. The species has been proven useful in indicating and removing air and soil pollutants and has also been used in food technology.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- MexicoWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026MexicoNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry 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 2026Annual, Ground Cover, Herbaceous Perennial; habit cascading, clumping, spreadingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Trailing (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height up to 12 in; width 12–24 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers pink, purple/lavender; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Other Tradescantia
More of the Commelinaceae family
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Sources
- ASPCA · 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.