Tradescantia cerinthoides
Common names
moss inch plant
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Habitat
Cultivation escape. Often found near houses or close to sites of former habitation. A frequent roadside weed, often found in or near illegal garden waste dumps. Does well on dry rock faces especially on lava. Can be common along coastal cliffs
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Commelinaceae
Synonyms
Tradescantia blossfeldiana
Ecology
Fruiting
Seedlings found self-establishing in a Whanganui garden in 2018, though before that, most dispersal had been assumed to be from plant fragments.
Year naturalised
1985
Origin
Brazil, Uruguay, N Argentina (Wikipedia)
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Tolerances
Drought and cold tolerant once established. Can tolerate heavy shade and full sun.
Life cycle and dispersal
Herbaceous perennial. Mostly asexual spread (can be rather slow to establish). Seedlings found self-establishing in a Whanganui garden in 2018. Plant is usually dispersed through careless disposal of garden waste.
Propagation technique
Easy - pieces of stem root freely.