Last updated on June 7th, 2026 at 09:14 am
The Purple Heart Plant (Tradescantia pallida) is a colorful, easy-to-grow plant that adds a striking splash of purple to your landscape. Its deep purple foliage remains attractive throughout the summer and fall, making it a popular choice for borders, containers, hanging baskets, and ground cover plantings.
You will find that Purple Heart is a vigorous grower that spreads quickly, creating a dense carpet of foliage over time. Because of its rapid growth habit, it is often used as a ground cover in warm climates. The stems are thick and succulent-like, storing water that helps the plant tolerate short periods of drought. Small pink flowers appear periodically during the growing season, creating a beautiful contrast against the rich purple leaves. Once established, Purple Heart requires very little maintenance and can thrive in both full sun and partial shade.
Purple Heart Plant
Thick purple leaves and stems with a bright small pink flower that will bloom during the early morning hours. Propagation is easy; just cut off the stem along with the leaf and place it into a container with good loamy soil, and it will grow.
Where to place the Purple Heart Plant?
It will die back during the winter seasons in places where temperatures get below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But it will return quickly in mid-spring. It is a heat and drought-tolerant plant that is perfect for a bare spot that needs filling in quickly.
This plant will do better in the morning sun and afternoon shade or underneath a large tree that gives off filtered light. It is a minimal-maintenance plant and can be planted in rock gardens and xeriscape landscaping areas.
If conditions are right, it will grow up to 1.5 inches tall and spread up to 2-3 ft. and wider. It is an easy plant to propagate. Snip off the stems and place them in a container with good soil, and it will take.
Purple Heart Plant Closeup Flower
The Purple Heart plant is commonly grown throughout the Southwest and is native to parts of Mexico. Because of its attractive foliage, drought tolerance, and easy-care nature, it has become a popular choice for both landscapes and container gardens.
This plant was originally introduced into cultivation as a houseplant and was often associated with the group of plants commonly known as wandering jews. Purple Heart belongs to the Tradescantia genus, which includes several species grown for their colorful foliage and trailing growth habit. Today, it is valued as both an indoor and outdoor plant, especially in warm climates where it can be used as a spreading ground cover.
Next time you are at your local nursery, ask for the Purple Heart Plant. Most gardening stores will carry this plant; if they don’t, you can sometimes purchase it at monrovia.com and have it delivered to your local nursery store.
Purple Heart Plant – USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 11.
It is a plant that is resistant to insects and diseases. Amazingly, insects and fungus rarely infect this plant. So, if you are looking for a good tough plant for that bare spot, this is it.
Here are other groundcover plants for the Southwest right here.
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If you have any questions or enjoyed this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thank you for your article on this beautiful and useful plant. We had this growing in a jumbo planter at the house where I grew up. That was in another state, and I didn’t know if it would grow well here, so I’m glad to read that it will.
Thanks, Shery. Yes, it will do well in the southwest but it’s best to plant it in morning sun and afternoon shade or underneath a large shade tree.