Plant Encyclopedia
 
houseplant

Moses In The Cradle

Tradescantia spathacea

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Moses In The Cradle (Tradescantia spathacea) at Ted Lare Design and Build

Moses In The Cradle foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  12 inches

Spacing:  18 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

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

Description:

This selection is an excellent plant for indoor containers and baskets; a year-round bloomer with beautiful white flower clusters nestled in purple bracts; dense mounded foliage is mid-green and attractive; easy to care for

Features & Attributes

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 curious purple undersides throughout the year.

This is an herbaceous evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other indoor plants with less refined foliage. This plant may benefit from an occasional pruning to look its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Moses In The Cradle can be expected to grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. It prefers to grow in average to moist soil. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil type or pH; an average potting soil should work just fine.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Container  Basket 
Applications
Flowers  Texture  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features

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