| Description | Tri-Color Moses in the Cradle (Tradescantia spathacea) is a tricolored plant with leaves that are red, white, and green. It needs proper light to bring out the colors. It can be grown as a house plant or groundcover in warmer climates. |
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| Plant Type | Indoor Foliage, Perennial Tender, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 9 |
| Sunlight | The color of the foliage is directly related to the amount of light. The brighter the light, the more colorful the foliage; the less light, the greener the color. Foliage prefers strong, bright light. |
| Moisture | evenly moist to approach dryness, somewhat succulent, draught tolerant once established |
| Flowers | tiny and white found in a boat (cradle) shaped purple bracts |
| Leaves | green, cream/white, and pink to red on the top, purple below, sword-like leaves |
| Stems | Forms a cluster of stems that produce a rosette. The rosette increases in size by short rhizomes and clumping from the main stem. |
| Maintenance | If the plant gets scraggly give it a hair cut and it will quickly regrow. |
| Propagation | Cutting are very easy to root. Ones taken further down the stem, near the base of the plant seem to root over night. Cuttings taken in the mid to upper portion of the stem will root in around a week. |
| Misc Facts | AKA: Tradescantia spathacea, Rhoeo spathacea, Tradescantia discolor, Oyster plant, |
| Author's Notes | I have grown several of these plants and it may take some trial and error to find the right amount of light for the best coloration. If the plant gets lanky, it needs more light. |
| Notes & Reference | #158-Plantepedia (Maggie Stuckey), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences |
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