Tradescantia, Moses-in-a-Basket, Boatlily, Oyster Plant 'Vittata'

This plant is listed on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant List as a Category I exotic invasive plant.

Grew well even in hot Folsom, CA summer (9b). It was in a section of the garden that received shade by early afternoon and it was slight...Read Morely shaded by another plant's palm-like foliage. Purple foliage is beautiful and adds low-height contrast to gardens.

It did not make it through the winter rain because it became over watered. Other surrounding plants were fine which means it seems to be more sensitive to over-watering than other plants.

I just returned from the local (New Jersey) plant shop where I learned the name of this plant. I was given a small plant which contained...Read More one stem with several green/purple-on-reverse leaves on top, and no name tag, by a friend last year (April 2006). As usual, I almost killed the plant watering either too often or too seldom. A leaf would fall off and I never knew if it was too much water or too little. It sat on a windowsill facing east and received sunlight in the morning. It lost several leaves and was starting to look like a palm tree.

After purchasing several African Violets and starting to pay more attention to watering and feeding with African Violet fertilizer, my Moses in the cradle started sending out new plants from the base of the old stem. Now it is really full and looks quite beautiful.

I would like to propagate this plant and I'm wondering if I can cut off these new shoots from the bottom of the original stem and just plant them in new potting soil. Will they take root I wonder. If anyone knows the answer please either post a note here or email me.

Meanwhile I'll enjoy my plant with its second life.