Plant Spotlight: Tradescantia Nanouk

Tradescantia Nanouk, fantasy venice or spiderwort

Tradescantia Nanouk is an easy to care for, hardy, and vigorous grower making it a great choice for beginner plant parents while its striking variegated foliage has made it a desirable addition for even more seasoned collectors. While tradescantia are native to Central and South America, the Nanouk is a patented cultivar developed in the Netherlands. 

Care: 

Tradescantias grow best in bright indirect light. Avoid placing your plant anywhere where it will receive direct light as that can burn the leaves. Alternatively, too little light will cause the color to fade and the plant will become leggy. We like an east facing window for optimal growth and health.

For watering, allow the top 1" of soil to dry between waterings ensuring that the plant isn't sitting in soil that is too wet while also being careful to not let the soil dry out completely. These plants grow best in a humid environment so consider frequent misting, running a humidifier, or placing a pebble tray nearby to increase the humidity around the plant. 

Troubleshooting:

Although Nanouk was bred to be an easy going plant it is susceptible to common growing problems such as root rot, growing leggy, and loss of leaf color. Placing your plant in ideal lighting conditions and maintaining consistent watering will help you to avoid them. In the event that your plant grows leggy it's a great time to propagate with stem cuttings. 

Toxicity:

Toxic to cats and dogs. 

The Fern Way:

The trailing growth pattern makes Tradescantia Nanouk great in a hanging planter (1) or placed somewhere where it can trail (2).