Tradescantia sillamontana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tradescantia sillamontana |
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| Tradescantia sillamontana | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Tradescantia
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| Species: |
sillamontana
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| Synonyms | |
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Tradescantia pexata H. E. Moore |
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Tradescantia sillamontana is a cool plant that stays green all year. It's a type of Tradescantia plant. This plant is special because it's very good at storing water. It can live in dry places. It's also one of the prettiest Tradescantia plants!
You can find it naturally in dry parts of Nuevo León, a state in northeastern Mexico. It also grows in Spain and Italy.
What it Looks Like
This plant is easy to spot because it looks very unique. Its leaves are arranged in a neat, geometric pattern. The whole plant, including its leaves, stems, and even flower buds, is covered in soft, white hairs. These hairs act like a natural sunscreen. They protect the plant from too much sun and stop it from losing too much water.
The stems grow to be about 30–40 centimeters (about 12-16 inches) tall. At first, they stand up straight. Later, they lie down and can even grow roots where they touch the ground. The leaves are thick and fleshy. They are shaped like an egg, about 3–7 centimeters (1-3 inches) long. They are covered in short, grayish-white hairs.
In the summer, pretty flowers appear. They grow at the tips of the stems or where the leaves meet the stem. These flowers look like typical Tradescantia flowers. Each flower has three bright purplish-pink to purple petals. It also has three small green parts called sepals that protect the petals.
How to Grow This Plant
Tradescantia sillamontana is quite easy to grow, much like other Tradescantia plants. But it's different because it's like a succulent. This means it can handle dry conditions very well.
This plant needs a lot of light to grow best. However, direct summer sun can burn its leaves. So, it's good to slowly get it used to bright light. Even though it comes from dry areas in Mexico, it likes about 30 inches (760 millimeters) of water each year. In cooler desert winters, the plant will go to sleep, or become dormant.
It flowers a lot in summer if it's cared for well. But if you give it too much water, keep it in a dark spot, or use too much nitrogen fertilizer, it won't look its best. It's not a good idea to spray water on its leaves. The soil needs to drain water easily. About one-third to half of the soil mix should be coarse sand and gravel.
Water the plant moderately when it's growing. In winter, when it's resting, keep the soil almost dry. The coolest temperature it can handle during its rest period is 10 °C (50 °F). You can divide the plant in spring. Any stems that are too long can be trimmed.
In warm, sunny places, this plant is very popular in gardens. In Europe, people sometimes grow it in gardens or rock gardens. But in winter, they move it to a cool greenhouse. Or they protect it from cold and wet weather with a temporary cover.
Tradescantia sillamontana has won a special prize called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a great plant for gardens!
Reproduction
It's easy to make new Tradescantia sillamontana plants. You can take cuttings that are about 5–8 centimeters (2-3 inches) long. Then, plant them in sandy soil to grow roots. You can also divide the whole plant and replant the different parts.
See also
In Spanish: Tradescantia sillamontana para niños
