Tradescantia 'Sweetness' - Inch Plant

Tradescantia ‘Sweetness’ is a bright and cheerful trailing plant with creamy white, pink, and pale green variegation across its fleshy, slightly fuzzy leaves. Fast-growing and low maintenance, it’s ideal for hanging pots, shelf edges, or even as a colourful addition to mixed planters. Its vivid colouring is especially eye-catching in bright light, and it roots easily from cuttings for quick propagation.

Scientific Name
Tradescantia ‘Sweetness’ (named after John Tradescant, a 17th-century English botanist and plant collector)

This cultivar is part of the Tradescantia fluminensis group, native to South America. ‘Sweetness’ is a cultivated variety selected for its soft pink and cream variegation. Tradescantia species have undergone several reclassifications over time but remain in the Commelinaceae family.

Common Name(s)
Inch Plant, Wandering Dude / Wandering Jew (use with care – considered insensitive in some contexts), Tradescantia ‘Sweetness’, Spiderwort (though less commonly used for this cultivar)

Origin
Cultivar bred from species native to Brazil and Argentina

Light
Prefers bright, indirect light. Some gentle morning sun will enhance pink and white variegation, but too much direct sun can cause leaf scorch. Low light may fade colours and encourage legginess.

Water
Water when the top 2–3cm of soil feels dry. Allow excess water to drain fully. Water less often in winter, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely.

Humidity
Tolerates average household humidity but prefers a bit more moisture in the air. Use a pebble tray in dry rooms to prevent crispy leaf tips.

Soil
Use a light, well-draining mix – a blend of standard houseplant compost with added perlite or sand works well. Repot yearly or when the roots fill the pot.

Food
Feed every 4–6 weeks in spring and summer with a diluted balanced liquid fertiliser. Avoid overfeeding, which can reduce variegation.

Temp
Ideal temperature is 18–24°C. Avoid cold draughts and temperatures below 12°C.

Pet-safe
Mildly toxic if ingested – keep out of reach of pets and children.

Sprouts Top Tips
Pinch back regularly to keep the plant bushy and encourage new trailing growth. Leggy stems can be trimmed and replanted directly into the pot to thicken it out.

Extras
Very easy to propagate – just snip a healthy stem and root it in water or moist soil. Makes a great gift plant or pass-along cutting.

Did You Know?
The nickname “inch plant” refers to both the spacing between its leaf nodes and how quickly it can grow – sometimes as much as an inch per week in peak conditions!