Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Oyster Plant, Boatlily, Moses-in-a-basket

Description:

This selection is an excellent plant for borders, rock gardens, and massed as groundcover; a year-round bloomer with white flower clusters nestled in purple bracts; foliage is green and white striped with purple undersides; may be invasive in warm areas

Ornamental Features

Variegated Moses In The Cradle features showy cymes of white flowers with purple bracts at the ends of the stems from early spring to late winter. Its sword-like leaves remain dark green in color with prominent white stripes and tinges of purple throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Variegated Moses In The Cradle is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Variegated Moses In The Cradle is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Variegated Moses In The Cradle will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat. As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.