Temperature
60–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Inch plant
Tradescantia zebrina
Inch plant wants bright indirect light and water every 5 to 9 days, once the top inch is dry. Toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Within two feet of an east or south window. The purple stripe washes out to plain green any further back.
Water
Every 5–9 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top inch is dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Wants 60%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Scores 1 of 5: roots in water in under a week and grows in almost any light. It goes bald at the base, so it is restarted from cuttings rather than saved.
Habit
Trailing
Grows to 6–24 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats and dogs — poison severity low
The toxic principle is not identified by the cited authority. Reported signs include skin irritation, dermatitis.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Tradescantia flumeninsis
- Toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Low · If ingested by pets or humans, mouth and stomach irritation can result. Handling or contact with this plant can cause skin irritation and redness.
DISPLAY — in-content responsive
Light
Bright indirect light. Within two feet of an east or south window. The purple stripe washes out to plain green any further back.
Water
Every 5 to 9 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top inch is dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top inch is dry |
Soil and potting
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. The individual diagnosis pages are not built yet.
- Leggy growth page not written yet
- Brown crispy edges page not written yet
- Root rot page not written yet
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 5 to 14 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 5–14 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Tradescantia flumeninsis Checked 2026-09-11.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Tradescantia zebrina Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q169381 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Tradescantia zebrina Accepted name; family Commelinaceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Tradescantia zebrina Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: Ruestz (upload 13:54, 11 January 2008), Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02