Zebrina is a very attractive ornamental plant, which is well known to many flower growers. Caring for her is not particularly difficult. However, in order to grow a lush flower, you must adhere to certain rules. Features of growing zebrins at home will be considered in this article.

Botanical description of the plant

The genus Tradescantia stands out in a large family of camelins, to which the evergreen perennial Tradescantia zebrina belongs. It blooms in the spring and summer, then medium-sized flowers appear on its stems, perfectly matching in tone with leaves.

In the wild, the zebrin tradescantia forms entire "carpets" covering hills and meadows. And at home, it is grown both indoor and garden plants, which are used in the arrangement of alpine slides.

Flowering room zebrina has its own characteristics:

• the flowering period can occur in any season;
• it lasts for 3-4 months;
• at this time, a lot of buds appear on the plant, blooming a few pieces a day and withering after a day;
• the inflorescence is a green cup with light petals and corollas, in the center of which there are long yellow stamens.

Important! When the tradescantia fades, small elongated boxes with vertical ribs are formed in place of the buds, where the seeds are contained.

Root system	branched, surface
Stem	smooth, curly, purple, reaches 80–90 cm
Leaf shape	oval, swept; in length they reach no more than 7–8 cm, and in width - 3-4 cm
Leaf color	dark green with lilac and silver stains
Flower shape	small inflorescence with three petals
Flower color	lilac

Healing properties

Tradescantia is not only a beautiful flower, but also useful in the household: its leaves, stems and juice have healing properties:

• milk from the leaves of zebrina treat small wounds, scratches, the consequences of skin diseases, because this liquid has an antibacterial effect;
• grated leaves of the plant with gruel spread on boils under a bandage to alleviate the condition and remove the tumor;
• some elements from the composition of the flower are used for the manufacture of drugs that reduce blood sugar;
• infusions are made from young shoots and fresh leaves of zebrina to combat diarrhea and some intestinal infections;
• decoctions from tradescantia are used by many in the treatment of tonsillitis and diseases of the oral cavity.

The use of plant-based drugs has no contraindications, however, like any actively active substance, it requires caution, therefore, before starting such treatment, it is better to consult a doctor.

Did you know? In some countries of Latin America (Venezuela, Mksika) zebrina juice is used in official medicine.

Comfortable conditions and proper home care

Zebrina belongs to unpretentious room dwellers, but nevertheless, in order to maintain her healthy, flowering appearance, certain conditions and timely care should be provided to her.

Lighting and ventilation

In the wild, the tradescantia is more resistant to sunlight, but at home, she does not like direct rays that can leave burns on the leaves.

The optimal place in the house for this plant will be the eastern or western windowsill. Diffused light prevails there, due to which there is no lack of lighting, but the rays of the sun do not harm. Growing in the shade, the plant will lose its attractive appearance.

Loves the plant and fresh air. It feels great on the balcony, in a well-ventilated room, just make sure that there are no drafts.

Temperature and humidity

Tradescantia prefers heat, but it feels great both at a temperature of + 10 ... + 13 ºC, and at + 28 ... + 30 ºС. The plant calmly tolerates temperature fluctuations during the day, only during flowering should it provide a warm and stable microclimate.

In addition to heat, humidity also matters for zebrins. Excessive dryness provokes the development of diseases, and also makes leaves and stems vulnerable to pests.

To provide the necessary humidity in the room will help a conventional spray gun. Using it, spray warm, settled water near the flower, but try to avoid getting liquid on the leaves.

Watering

Moisturizing the soil in a pot of tradescantia, remember the simple rules that will help ensure the healthy development of the plant:

• the frequency of watering depends on the temperature: in summer, moisture evaporates faster, therefore, watering should be done more often;
• the soil in the pot should always be moist, but not wet;
• soil should be watered as soon as the topsoil dries.

Did you know? Among the people, zebrina has another name - "woman gossip."

Most of all indoor plants like rainwater. If this is not possible, then the best option would be ordinary water at room temperature, which has settled for several days.

Fertilizer application

To feed the room tradescantia, both organic top dressing and ready-made complexes for the decorative-leafy family are used. However, this plant should be fertilized carefully. Excess vitamins and minerals can lead to loss of leaf color, their deformation.

Important! To prevent blanching of the color of the leaves, from the beginning of spring, feed the zebrina once every 3 weeks, using half the norm indicated on the package.

Pruning

Thanks to shoots that quickly take root in a new place, the zebrin actively occupies the territory, so it must be timely limited.

As for the indoor plant, then he is pruned, eliminating the yellowed, obsolete shoots. So tradescantia not only looks neater, but also healthier.

Transfer

Due to the active growth, this type of bindweed needs regular transplantation. Specific dates for this are not provided, it is only necessary to monitor the condition of the plant itself. And as soon as you understand that there is no longer enough space in the pot, you need to transplant.

To do this, find a new suitable flowerpot. It should be low, but wide, so that there is enough space for the grown zebra, otherwise its development will stop. But remember that too much capacity can cause a problem and lead to acidification of the soil. And be sure to take care of the presence of drainage in the pot.

As for the soil itself, it is worth choosing nutritious and loose earth.

Peat substrates are usually bought for transplants, but many lovers make suitable soil on their own, using a 2: 1: 1 ratio:

• garden soil (neutral or slightly acidic);
• humus;
• peat.

Did you know? According to the teachings of Feng Shui, indoor tradescantia relieves the room of electromagnetic radiation and improves the overall climate in the house.

If desired, you can supplement the mixture with a small amount of river sand.

Propagation by cuttings

The process of breeding tradescantia is very simple and consists of only a few steps:

1. To begin with, pinch the stem (10-15 cm tall) above the leaf or at the site of internode formation.
2. Then it is left in a container with water until the roots appear (usually it takes 7-10 days).
3. After this, the young shoot can already be planted in a separate pot, for the first time covering it with a film to create a suitable microclimate (+ 15 ... + 18 ºС).

Just do not expect the sprout to start active growth immediately: sometimes a seedling may take about a month to take root in a new place.

Important! The best period for the separation of a new plant is considered spring-summer - it was at this time that the best conditions for its growth.

Growing difficulties

Zebrina rarely gets sick or suffers from pests, but she has her own difficulties in development, provoked by the wrong location or care:

• if the plants wither and lose their color, the problem is the lack of sufficient moisture;
• if the leaves turn yellow, carefully inspect their lower sides, sinuses of zebrin, perhaps there is a tick or scab. If no pests are found, then the cause is insufficient humidity in the room;
• sometimes the green of the tradescantia loses its brightness, juiciness. In this case, the problem may be a lack of light;
• it happens that a zebrin does not build up a crown for a long time. Such a slowdown in the development of the plant provokes a lack of proper lighting, as well as regular feeding.

If you are unlucky, and the plant has become a victim of pests, then you need to know how to deal with them.

From ticks and aphids, washing the plants with soapy water or garlic infusion will help. However, when there are too many insects, it will be more efficient to acquire insecticides.

In order for the magnificent, sparkling crown of zebrina to please the eye, it is necessary to timely trim, transplant and top dress it. Although the flower can grow in the fresh air, in a garden or flower bed, it is still better to grow it indoors.