All the plants are grown right here in Machynlleth, never sold on from mass-producers. So you know for sure that you’ll get exactly what you order, and that it comes from the UK with minimal “plant-miles”. I never use peat, and rely on organic materials as much as possible – only resorting to chemical pesticides for serious issues.
I grow multiple copies of each cultivar in different places, to make sure there is always a backup in case a plant is lost. Some live indoors under artificial light, some in an unheated conservatory, and some outdoors during the summer.
What’s in the box
Unless otherwise specified, all the plants are sold as unrooted cuttings – fresh stems which don’t have roots yet. Commelinaceae are notoriously easy to propagate from cuttings, and larger full plants are brittle and fragile in the post, so cuttings are the best way to transport them. In fact they’ll often have started to grow roots in the post by the time they arrive!
The cuttings will vary in size depending on the cultivar, since bigger plants have bigger stems and therefore bigger cuttings. Each cutting will be a healthy stem with several leaves – never a “wet stick” or single node. Stems of this size have essentially a 100% success rate in propagation. Here are a few examples of the minimum cutting sizes you can expect for a range of different plants:
Cuttings are individually identified with wooden labels which you can use when you pot them up. Each label gives the full scientific and cultivar name, as well as the accession number which identifies it within the collection. That means that in future we can always be sure that two plants labelled with the same accession number are the same clone and genetically identical.
Appearance variation
Commelinaceae plants are renowned for how much their appearance can change in different growing conditions. I try to include lots of photos in each listing, to give an idea of how much the plant might vary. But there’s no guarantee of exactly what your cutting will look like when it arrives. Rest assured that it will be the cultivar that’s written on the label, and it will have the potential to look like any of the listing photos as it grows. If you think I might have made a mistake and actually sent the wrong plant (I’m only human!), reply to your order email or contact me at hello@tradescantia.uk with pictures.
On each listing, you can choose between outdoor-grown and indoor-grown cuttings. Whichever you choose will be the same cultivar, and both will eventually adapt to your growing conditions to end up looking the same. But the cuttings have a few differences at the time you order, so you can choose which you prefer.
Indoor-grown cuttings:
- Generally have immaculate leaves, with no marks or damage.
- Are clean and practically sterile.
- Have thinner stems and more delicate leaves.
- Show more green, silver, white, and yellow colours.
- Are well-adapted to warm and humid conditions, ideal for growing as a houseplant or in a terrarium.
Outdoor-grown cuttings:
- Generally have a few ripped, damaged, or browning leaves from wildlife and weather.
- May have the odd aphid or other hitchhiker from outdoors (although I always inspect and clean them before sending!).
- Have thicker stems and tougher, more succulent leaves.
- Show more purple, red, and pink colours.
- Are well-adapted to cooler and drier conditions, ideal for growing outside or in an unheated place.
Caring for your new arrivals
Commelinaceae cuttings are very easy to propagate. Just remove the lowest 1-2 leaves from the stem, and then bury the bare section of stem in your preferred substrate. They can grow equally well in any regular potting soil or houseplant mix, or in a more airy succulent or aroid mix. You can even grow them in hydroponic substrates like sphagnum or inorganic materials, or in pure water. Use a container that’s only just big enough to fit all the cuttings you’re potting up, so that the substrate won’t hold too much moisture. Don’t forget to add the label!
For most cuttings, you can treat them the same as normal established plants as soon as you pot them up. Water them when the substrate is mostly dry, and put them in a bright place. If a delicate cutting seems to be wilting, you can help it out by increasing the humidity. The easiest way to do this is to put a clear bag over the top of the pot, or put the whole thing inside a clear airtight box. Once the stem is firmly rooted and growing again, you can return it to lower humidity and treat it as normal.
You can learn more about growing and maintaining tropical Commelianceae plants in this detailed care guide.