Issue #39

Why Do Some Tradescantias Change Appearance After You Buy Them?

Have you ever bought a Tradescantia that looked perfect in the store, short stems, tiny leaves, compact growth, only for it to change completely after a few months at home? Suddenly it's growing long, the leaves are spaced out, and it just doesn’t look the same anymore.

It’s easy to think you’re doing something wrong. Maybe it needs more light? Or water? Or maybe it’s just not happy? But in many cases, it’s not your care at all, it’s the effect of plant growth regulators wearing off.

In this week’s newsletter, I’ll go through what growth regulators are, how they affect your Tradescantias, and how to tell if a plant has been treated. It’s something I wish I had known earlier myself.

Also, the Tradescantia of the Week is the European Pink Dragon, a plant I wasn’t sure about at first, but that has slowly become a favorite.

Let’s jump in!

Tradescantia of the week: European Pink Dragon

Have you heard of the Tradescantia Pink Dragon? It can actually mean two different plants, one from Europe and one from the US. No one really knows which one came first, or why they ended up with the same name. To tell them apart, people usually call them European Pink Dragon and US Pink Dragon.

They’re similar, but not quite the same. Both have tiny hairs on their leaves, but the US version has longer, more pointed leaves, while the EU version has more rounded leaves.

The European Pink Dragon belongs to the Continental group, a group of Tradescantias with unknown origin, likely hybrids.

Just like the others in this group, it grows in a compact, bushy way and branches out easily. Its leaves are slightly asymmetric, with rounded edges and covered in fine little hairs.

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan at first. It didn’t grow much and looked kind of boring. But slowly, it won me over, and now it’s become one of my favorites (don’t I say that about all of them? 😅).

The variegation is pretty stable too, which means I don’t have to constantly check if it’s reverting. And even with a bit of recent neglect, it keeps growing, slowly but steadily.

Tradescantia and growth regulators

Have you ever brought home a cute little Tradescantia with short stems and tightly packed little leaves, only to see it change completely after a few months?

Suddenly it’s stretching out, the leaves are further apart, and the whole plant just looks... different? There’s a reason for that, and it’s called plant growth regulators, or PGRs.

Plant growth regulators are substances that affect how a plant grows. They’re actually based on natural plant hormones, but in this case, they’re made synthetically and added by humans. When these are used on a plant, they can override its natural signals and tell it to grow in a different way.

PGRs are often used by large commercial growers. Because when they’re producing thousands of plants at once, they want them to look neat, compact, and identical. Growth regulators slow down the plant's development. They keep the stems short, make the leaves stay small, and reduce the space between the leaves. The result is a cute little plant that looks perfect in a pot, dense, tidy, and ready for sale.

The important thing to know is that PGRs don’t harm the plant. They just create temporary changes in how it grows. But those changes can be pretty drastic and they can definitely confuse plant owners. Two plants of the exact same variety can look completely different if one of them has been treated with PGRs and the other hasn’t.

The effect of the treatment can last anywhere from a few weeks to over a year, depending on how much was used, the plant's environment, and how fast it grows. But one thing is certain: the effect will always fade. Eventually, the plant goes back to its natural way of growing, usually with longer stems, bigger and different shaped leaves, and a less compact look.

So if your plant starts changing after a while at home, that’s not something you’ve done wrong. It’s just the PGRs wearing off.

How can you tell if a plant has been treated with PGRs?​
The easiest way is to think about where the plant came from. PGRs are mainly used by big growers who produce plants for large chains and garden centers.

You can also try to spot it by how the plant looks. Plants treated with PGRs often are more compact with unusually small, tight leaves.

There’s no need to worry though. The effects will wear off eventually.

Wrapping Up with a Few Flowers

I’m so happy that summer is finally here, where I live, we’re still waiting for the warmer summer weather, it’s been a bit chilly for what’s supposed to be late May. But the plants don’t seem to mind. My Andersonianas have already started popping up from the ground, and they look just about ready to bloom.

So to wrap things up this week, I thought I’d share a few Tradescantia flowers.

Until next time, happy planting! 🌿

Katja

P.S. Don’t forget – if you haven’t checked out my free Tradescantia Crash Course yet, you can sign up here! It’s packed with practical tips and fun facts.

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