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MEET THE 2023 HOUSEPLANT OF THE YEAR™ – LEAFJOY™ FEELING FLIRTY™ TRADESCANTIA

Top 3 reasons to grow Feeling Flirty™ Tradescantia

IT’S FUN!
What other houseplant packs this much color onto such a petite form?

IT’S VERSATILE
This easy plant will grow indoors year round and outdoors in the summertime.

IT’S UNIQUE
Grow a pink and green waterfall of foliage to spill out of your macrame hanger or keep it pinched for your tabletop.

Contributors: Susan Martin

The tantalizing texture of this jewel alocasia makes it one of the most unique houseplants you’ll own. Plus, it’s smaller, tidy nature and lower light tolerance makes it easy to display on your desk or countertop where you can appreciate all of its distinctive wrinkles and veining up close.

 

Flirt with Color to Brighten Your Home

Feeling Flirty® tradescantia makes it easy and fun to bring nature inside™. Among a sea of green houseplants in your home, this plant will catch your eye and captivate your attention with its intricately painted, silky pink and mint green striped leaves with lilac purple undersides. Use it to brighten your interior spaces in your favorite cache pot or macrame plant hanger. Choose a bright spot for it near a window in your kitchen, living room, powder room or office.

In the summertime, take Feeling Flirty tradescantia on a siesta out onto your shaded or partly sunny deck or patio. There, you can use it to spill over the sides of a planter paired with other slower growing, tidy plants or enjoy in its own pretty pot. It will thrive in the warm, humid air all summer long with no special care needed.

     

    • Delightfully colorful pink and green striped foliage
    • Fun twisty, trailing form
    • Matures to 2-4” tall, trails as much as 3’
    • Easy to grow in bright direct or indirect light
    • Grows indoors year round and outdoors in summer
    • Pronounced “Tra-duh-scan-shee-uh”
     

     PLANTING YOUR HOUSEPLANT 

    Houseplants like Feeling Flirty tradescantia like to feel snug in their pot. If you decide to repot it into a decorative container, choose one that is no more than one size larger than the pot it is currently growing in. Alternatively, you can just set the plant in its existing pot into a cache pot and call it good.

    Tradescantia grows best in well-drained soil. Sometimes, the soil used by the grower is heavier so it retains moisture longer. If that’s the case, your plant may grow better if you repot it into a lighter weight potting mix that drains freely and doesn’t stay wet for too long. This will help to avoid issues like root rot and fungus gnats.

    Plant Feeling Flirty in the new container at the same level it was growing before, taking care not to bury the base of the plant. When you’re finished, the soil level in the container should be about a half-inch below the rim of the pot to avoid spillage when you water.

    Water your newly potted plant immediately to help the soil settle in around the roots.

    		 

     

    CARING FOR YOUR HOUSEPLANT


    SUNLIGHT
     
     
    • Choose a place indoors that receives bright light or bright indirect light. Without enough light, the plant could become spindly and will not be as full or brightly colored.
    • If you observe the plant “stretching” you will know it is not getting enough light. Move it to a brighter location.
    • This plant responds well to occasional pinching to improve its fullness. If your plant looks thin because it isn’t getting enough light, pinch the longest stems back by a few nodes to help it fill out better.
    • Outdoors, choose a partially sunny or shaded spot for Feeling Flirty. You’ll know it is getting too much sun if its leaves start to burn. In warmer climates, it will require more shade.
    • Feeling Flirty will put on the most active growth when the temperature is between 60-85°F. Keep this range in mind when growing it indoors and outside.

    WATER
     
    • Feeling Flirty tradescantia needs average amounts of moisture and well-drained soil. When you water, soak the soil thoroughly and then let it dry out a bit before watering again.
    • Watering on a schedule is never a good idea for houseplants. Instead, feel the soil and water when the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch.
    • Giving your houseplant a little bit of water frequently is not healthy for your plant because the roots in the upper part of the pot will remain wet while the deeper roots are too dry. When you water, be sure to wet the entire root ball.
    • One easy way to determine if your houseplant needs water is to lift up the pot. You can develop a sense of whether or not to water based on how light or heavy it feels. If the pot is light, it is time to water your plant again. You can do this with confidence if you followed the instructions about using the proper soil for your plant.
    • Though Feeling Flirty tradescantia enjoys heat, it won’t like the hot, dry air from your heat register or the arid climate outdoors. Humidity is key to keeping the leaves fresh and healthy looking. To raise the humidity indoors, you could either run a humidifier or set the pot on a saucer filled with pebbles and water. As the water evaporates, it will raise the humidity around the plant. Grouping your houseplants together also helps to keep humidity levels a bit higher
     

    PLANT FOOD

     

    • The best time to feed your houseplants is between March and October while they are actively growing. We recommend feeding them once per month at half strength with water soluble houseplant food during the growing season.
    • In the winter, when the days are shorter and light is diminished, your houseplant won’t be actively growing so it won’t need to be fed. It’s best to give it a rest during this time. Feeding plants while they are semi-dormant can lead to root rot and wastes fertilizer.
     

    PEST MANAGEMENT

     
    • An unfortunate thing you’ll likely encounter at some point when you grow houseplants is insect pests and, less frequently, plant diseases. These problems most often occur on weakened plants that have not been watered properly, are staying too wet, are not receiving enough light, or have been over-fertilized.
    • One of the most common houseplant diseases is root rot. This occurs when the soil is too heavy, is staying wet for too long, or you are watering too often. Once it sets in, it is difficult to stop. Fungicides may offer the plant some relief.
    • Two common pests are fungus gnats and spider mites. Fungus gnats tend to hatch under the same conditions that cause root rot, so watch your watering carefully. Spider mites tend to pop up in warm environments with low humidity. The first sign you’ll see is tiny holes or yellow spots on the leaves and spider webs in the foliage.
    • Also keep an eye out for mealy bugs. These soft-bodied, powdery white insects often cluster together in colonies and suck the sap out of the plant, reducing its vigor. These pests should be controlled at the first sign to prevent spread.
     

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