Gynura aurantiaca
Aptly named , purplish passion plant is n’t the type of houseplant that is likely to leave you feeling immaterial .
Its appearance is rather strange , with furry regal leaves that have an iridescent glow when the luminosity hits them at the right angle .
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G. aurantiacaleaf.
Houseplants can attract us for a variety of unlike reasons . mayhap African violets remind you of a favorite nanna or aunt .
Perhaps poinsettia have you thinking about cheery vacation time . Or more much speaking , snake plants may arouse simple stock utile in minimalist decor .
And then there are those mintage that are just riotously sense - agitating . They almost seem to be begging to be touched . Or their colouration are so intriguing that you just ca n’t stop looking at them .
G. aurantiacaleaf.
Purple passion plants have both of those last attributes – a beguiling coloration , as well as diffuse , velvety foliage . And those are far from their only worthy features .
Yes , there ’s more , but you ’ll have to read along to find out !
Ready to instruct more about this violate houseplant – as well as how to care for it ?
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
In caseful you ’re have any discombobulation that this is not the species you ’re looking for , this article is about a species commonly uprise as a houseplant – not to be confused with purplepassionflower , a type ofPassiflorathat is grown outdoorsfor its delicious fruit !
What Is Purple Passion Plant?
empurpled cacoethes flora ( Gynura aurantiaca ) is an evergreen perennial loved for its violet tinged foliage .
When they are young , the plants have an unsloped growth habit , but once stems are longer , they come out to urban sprawl and trail .
If you visit an single leaf , you ’ll chance it is more or less oval shaped , pointed , and with coarsely toothed margins . Leaves can grow up to eight inches long .
Of course the real fascination withG. aurantiacais not the chassis of the leaves – it ’s their texture and beguiling coloring .
The leaves are green with purple undersides and are covered with pocket-sized purple hair which give the leaf a velvety texture and a purple freshness .
The stems are cross with these over-embellished hairs as well . New growth has a particularly bright coloring , as it is more densely encompass with these pilus .
The shade of green on the leaf darken with increase Dominicus photo , and they can even develop an almost black chromaticity . ( quick for a black houseplant collection , anyone ? )
Purple passion plants maturate to be one to two feet marvellous , but their stems can get behind to a length of four feet or more – make them fantabulous candidates for growing in hanging baskets .
Flowers are yellowish orange and have a solid smell – some distinguish the sense of smell as like that of rancid butter .
Others guess the blooms reek like malodourous socks , which is why most houseplant parent trim off any flower buds that look before they open .
If bloom are allow to remain , they transform into white puffballs of seed heads – remindful of the seed heads of their cousin , thedandelion .
Cultivation and History
Native to Indonesia , G.aurantiacahails from a plastered , tropical habitat where it grow as an understory industrial plant .
A member of thesunflower family or Asteraceae , purple passion plant is related to many garden staple fiber such asmarigolds , lettuce , andasters , as well as houseplant favorites likestring of pearlsandgerbera daisy .
G.aurantiacais also known as velvet , purple velvet , or purple velvet industrial plant . In Indonesia it ’s send for “ umyung . ”
Purple mania plant may be the most well - know species in its genus , Gynura . A couple of other standout phallus of this genus areG. procumbens , have a go at it as “ longevity prickly-seeded spinach , ” andG. bicolor , which is known as “ Okinawan spinach . ”
As for purple passion works , it is debate nontoxic to humans , dogs , cat , and horse .
In fact , they contain antiviral properties and have been used medicinally by population in their native region .
While commonly used as an indoor , decorative foliage plant life , G. aurantiacacan also be grown outdoors year polish inUSDA Hardiness Zones10 to 12 .
Purple Passion Plant Propagation
ejaculate forG.aurantiacaare not easily receive , so the beneficial way to propagate this houseplant is via cuttings .
From Cuttings in Soil
Luckily , propagating via base cuttings is easy and can be done at any clock time of the class .
Here ’s what you ’ll need : a mature specimen to take cuttings from , sterilized scissor grip or snips , turn average , greenhouse pots , a butter knife , and root endocrine , also known as cloning hormone ( optional ) .
you’re able to take your picking as to what size of it of pot to employ – for example , small , two- to three - inch baby’s room pots can be used for single cutting , or larger , six- to eight - inch pots can be used for multiple cutting .
Fill the nursery pots with grow medium , leaving an in between the surface of the dirt and the rim of the peck to allow for lachrymation .
Go ahead and wet the uprise medium down after putting it in the baby’s room pots .
Next , use the butterknife to make golf hole in the growing medium . If you are using small nursery pots , make holes in the center of each one , or in the case of heavy pots , space them two to three in apart .
Now that the pots are quick , use the desex scissors or snips to take cuttings with at least two nodes , prune right above a thickening . Remove the leave of absence from the bottom node .
If you ’d like to use rooting hormone – now ’s the meter to apply it . Dab the settle down internal secretion onto the bottom in of the cutting , especially the cut stem .
settle hormone is optional , but can provide greater chances of success , and is a worthwhile intersection to keep on helping hand when you do your comely share of propagating !
Do n’t have rooting internal secretion ? you could purchase your own jar of Olivia ’s Cloning Gel in an variety of sizesvia Arbico Organics .
Olivia ’s Cloning Gel
After you have apply the rooting hormone ( or make up one’s mind to skip it ) , insert the slip into the golf hole .
Press the soil around the inserted last of the cutting to insure skilful inter-group communication between the grow spiritualist and the cutting . There ’s no need to water since the growing medium should already be wet .
site the throne in indirect light in a warm positioning , around 75 ° F is ideal , and keep the medium moist but not soggy .
If your habitation is on the dry side , pop the question the newspaper clipping a bit more humidness as it root by placing a transparent plastic bag over the top to serve as a humidness dome .
Rather than seal the nursery pile into the traveling bag , keep it loosely breed the rooting cutting instead , to prevent the buildup of too much humidity . get rid of the bag after three to four days .
cutting should settle down within one to two weeks . Once cuttings are rooted , they can be cared for as potted specimens .
From Cuttings in Water
Velvet plant cuttings are easy to root in water supply as well .
However , since many cuttings have a harder time adjust to filth - based living after being rooted in water , this is more of a stopgap amount for when you have a cut but do n’t have time to pot it up properly .
Take cuttings with at least two nodes , remove the bottom two leaves , and put the cuttings in a transparent shock of water .
The testimonial to employ a decipherable jolt is not because the etymon need light – it ’s to assist you notice when the jounce ask refill !
Place the jar in collateral light , in a emplacement that is fairly tender – as close to 75 ° F as possible .
Add more water when the tier dips , and change out the urine entirely if it starts to look squashy .
When the roots are at least an inch long and you are ready to pot your water - grow cuttings , transplant them as indicate below in the repotting plane section .
How to Grow Purple Passion Plant
Velvet plant make downcast maintenance houseplant that are reasonably easy to care for ! Here ’s what you ’ll ask to know :
They growbest and create the most intense colors with bright or medium , collateral Christ Within .
Although they can also be grown aslow light houseplants , their foliage wo n’t be as coloured , and their growth will be leggier .
Not sure what kind of sparkle you have available in your home forG. aurantiaca ? prove check with alight meter .
As for lacrimation , it ’s in effect to keep the mature metier consistently moist , but definitely not muddy .
A good rule of thumb is to let the control surface of the potting medium dry between waterings .
To prevent overly swampy conditions , make trusted that both the pot and the growing mass medium are well - draining .
Using the righthouseplant growing mediumwill also help prevent waterlogging .
One of my favorite growing mediums for houseplants , De La Tank ’s from Tank ’s Green Stuff , offer just the correct combination of drain and water retentiveness forG. aurantiaca – plus , it’speat - gratis .
De La Tank ’s Soil Mix for houseplant
De La Tank ’s Soil Mix for Houseplants is available in an assortment of base sizes from Tank ’s Green Stuffvia Arbico Organics .
You may also want to recognise what type of climatical conditions are best for this houseplant .
A proportional humidness of 40 to 60 percentage is considered ideal , while they exhibit the very best increase at temperatures of 75 to 80 ° degree Fahrenheit .
This temperature mountain chain is warmer than the average indoor status for folk living in centrally cool down and het up abode . That means you may placeG. aurantiacain warmer spots in your nursing home if you really want to encourage your velvet plant to grow .
For instance , heat rise , so over-embellished mania plants make unspoiled candidates for the “ upper canopy ” of your indoor hobo camp and can be place on high shelves or elevated in hanging baskets to make use of those affectionate microclimates .
On the other helping hand , temperatures higher than 80 ° F will encourage leggy growth , so there ’s no need to push up your thermostat all in the name of that indoor jungle .
And if you ’re observe your houseplant outdoors during the summertime calendar month , watch your weather story as the mercury go to drop in fall – temperatures below 55 ° F can cause combat injury to the plant .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Watering time is a good moment to inspect your houseplant . You might obtain some wither leaves in the center of the corporation – just cull them out and make them in yourcompostcontainer .
Watch for bloom bud – if you want to avoid the unpleasant smell that bothers some indoor gardeners ( albeit others , not so much ) , you might want to snip them off before they have the chance to bloom .
As mentioned , G. aurantiacacan sometimes become leggy , with long vine and space out foliation .
To encourage bushier growth , prune off the shank to the distance you choose . you could use the prunings to propagate more plants !
As for fertilizer , a gentle approaching is effective . And when it comes toplant nutrients , the best NPK ratio forG. aurantiacais 3:1:3 . However this proportion can be unmanageable to notice in a ready - made plant food designed for base use .
Mission Fertilizer
Products with a ratio of 3:1:2 ( NPK ) will also work for this design , such as Mission Fertilizer ’s Grow rule , uncommitted in quart or gallon containersvia Amazon .
Fertilizer can be applied once a month throughout the year , but keep in nous that this can chip in to tall-growing ontogeny , so feel free to cut the frequency of feedings if plants are display a growth habit you do n’t prefer .
Also be sure to accompany the manufacturing business ’s instructions for applying any fertilizer you choose .
The only other maintenance item you ’ll have to pertain yourself with is repotting .
design to repot when plant start to become rootbound – or approximately every two years . Look for ascendent emerge from the drain holes of deal , or specimens that take watering more often than you ’re willing to accommodate .
When it ’s meter to repot , take a container ( with drainage hole ! ) that is just one size larger than the current toilet .
Place some raise mass medium in the bottom of the new gage . Remove the specimen from its sometime container , undo up the root word on the edges of the base ball , then place it in the unexampled throne .
You may need to add up or remove growing spiritualist from the bottom of the muckle to get the origin ball situated at the right-hand level – there should be about an inch of space between the top of the growing sensitive and the lip of the pot .
Once the industrial plant is well situate , backfill with raise intermediate , then water in well .
Velvet Plant Cultivars to Select
You have a couple of options when choosing a velvet flora cultivar :
Purple Passion
‘ Purple Passion ’ is a cultivar ofG. aurantiaca , and is the one you ’re most likely to find for leverage as a houseplant .
This cultivar get ahead the Royal Horticultural Society ’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993 and has a more trailing growth habit than the straight species .
Live Purple Passion Plant in 4 ” Pot
you’re able to purchase a unrecorded ‘ Purple Passion ’ industrial plant in a four - inch pot from Rootedvia Walmart .
Variegated Purple Passion
‘ motley Purple Passion ’ has green parting with cream to pinkish variegation and is also covered with the same luxuriant bed of royal pelt as the straight species .
This cultivar can be tricky to encounter , but is well worth seeking out .
Managing Pests and Disease
Purple passion plant is susceptible to the same types of houseplant diseases and pests most of us are familiar with .
However , respectable specimen will be less likely to be targeted or succumb to these attack . So providing your velvet plant with the sun , grunge , and climatic condition it needs to boom will allow the groundwork of a healthy plant .
go over new specimen for signs of pests or disease on arrival .
Also , it ’s a good idea to keep unexampled acquisition in “ quarantine ” for the first two to four weeks in your home . This will allow any pests that may be loaf in the growing medium metre to re - emerge , giving you the opportunity to treat the problem and prevent spread to other members of your houseplant community .
For plant already integrated into your home , each time you body of water , check stem and undersides of leaves as well as the top of the foliage , looking out for pest likeaphids , mealybug , scurf , spider mites , andwhiteflies .
The independent disease you will have to look out for is root rot .
If your houseplant is wilt despite its grow medium being damp , root rot may be the reason .
This disease is the result of soil staying too inert , which gives rise to pathogenic organism .
The best way to share with this disease is through prevention – make sureG. aurantiacais originate in a pot with drainage holes , that its growing medium is well - draining , and that you do n’t overwater .
Best Uses for Purple Passion Plant
This decorative foliage plant can be enjoyed in several way as a houseplant – beyond just serve as a dear percentage point of visual fixation !
Thanks to its trailing growth habit , it ’s a no - brainer selection for a attend basket , but if you ’d rather keep it on a tabletop , it can be trim for a more stocky appearance .
The purple haze of velvet flora ’s foliage may not commingle intojust anyhome decorating schema as would say , apeace lilyorcast - iron plant .
Yet , these reddish blue - hued houseplant will look at home in many quirkier options , such as blank space with an eclectic , barbarian , or psychedelic vibration – or anywhere where a visual plash of soft , velvety texture is desire .
Looking for familiar for your purple cacoethes plant ? Group it withAfrican violets , supplicant plants , orspiderwortfor houseplant crony that not only depend great together , but also share similar care preferences .
And makingG. aurantiacaeven more desirable in the support space , it is considered non-poisonous so it ’s secure for homes with little kids and queer deary .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Voluptuously Velvety Vines
Not only does it have hypnotise furry violet foliage , but this houseplant is also soft to propagate , a dissipated agriculturist , put up low to average light , and is atoxic .
What ’s not to feel passionate about ?
Do you have any tips of your own about develop purplish passion plant that you ’d care to deal with our readers ? Or are you looking for help with your plant ?
Be sure to throw away us a line in the input section below – we ’d be felicitous to help . Oh , and if you pass off to have a variegated velvet plant , let me get laid , Imayknow someone interested in cuttings . ( I ’m kidding ! perchance . )
concerned in peruse more houseplants to keep your velvet plant companionship ? We have more theme for you mighty here :
Photos by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © take the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . production picture via the Esterno Store , Mission Fertilizer , Olivia ’s Cloning Gel , Rooted , and Tank ’s Green Stuff . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Kristina Hicks - Hamblin
