Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Tradescantia zebrina
Silver Inch Plant
Tradescantia zebrina is grown for two silver bands. Each fleshy pointed leaf is striped lengthways in metallic silver over deep green, with the whole underside a solid rich purple, and because the stems trail and turn, both surfaces are visible at once.
The Silver Inch Plant roots wherever a node touches ground, which makes it a fast shaded carpet outdoors and an equally fast trailer over the edge of an interior planter.
Specifications
- Height0.1 to 0.2 metres
- Width0.4 to 0.9 metres per plant, spreading to form a continuous mat
- Native toSouthern Mexico and Central America
- FoliageFleshy pointed oval leaves banded silver over deep green with solid purple undersides; evergreen
- Growth rateFast
Conditions
- SoilPrefers free-draining soils and tolerates poor ground
- LightPartial shade to bright indirect light; colour fades in deep shade and scorches in hot sun
- WaterModerate; wilts quickly if allowed to dry out
- ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and frost-free warm regions, and in conditioned interiors
Additional Features
- FormDense trailing mat that roots freely at the nodes as it runs
- UsesIdeal for shaded ground cover, hanging baskets and planter edges, green wall pockets and interior planting
- SpacingPlant 0.2 to 0.3 metres apart for cover within a single season
- Low MaintenanceShear back where it runs beyond its bed and pinch regularly to keep the growth dense
- Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free
- VersatilityServes as an exterior shade carpet, a basket trailer and an interior planter filler
Silver Inch Plant puts a metallic sheen into shaded planting that no green-leaved ground cover can produce.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026