Purple Passion plants make wonderful additions to any indoor setup. They have an enchanting aura about them, with their dazzling dark green and deep purple foliage that seems to creep out from the pot. The tiny purple hairs, that create this colour, really stand out when put next to other, more traditional, house plants. They complement each other perfectly.
These beautiful plants, sometimes known as the Purple Velvet plant, bring with them a host of benefits, like other houseplants. They have been proven to improve the air quality in our homes, as well as helping to reduce stress and increase productivity. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
The key to helping these handsome little plants thrive is all in the maintenance - what it needs and when. That's what this blog is designed to do, teach you everything you need to know about Purple Passion plant care. By the time you have finished reading this, you will know exactly how to care for a Purple Passion plant - let's go!
Are Purple Passion Plants easy to care for?
Let's cut to the chase here - yes, Purple Passion plants are very low-maintenance houseplants. We will go into more detail further down this article, but the main thing to take away at this stage is that if you have ever looked after a plant before, you are more than qualified to look after a Purple Passion plant - and if you are novice plant parents, you've picked a nice easy one to start with!
This is one of the reasons that they make great gifts, especially house-warming gifts - they are a joy to have in the home, and won't take very much to keep looking amazing. Let's find out a little more about these brilliant indoor plants.
What are Purple Passion plants?
The Purple Passion plant is an evergreen perennial that hails originally from South East Asia. They are climbing plants, when in the wild, and can usually be found scrambling or trailing along the floors of forests on the island of Java, Indonesia. There, they find the humid conditions in which they can thrive, but have evolved to adapt in different climates - this adaptability all feeds towards the fact that they are low-maintenance.
They are known by a few different names - Gynura aurantiaca is the botanical name, where as the velvet-like leaves have led to it being known as the Purple Velvet plant to many gardeners, or the Purple Passion vine, due to it's sprawling nature. It is part of the Daisy family, and it can produce flowers - bright orange flowers, which look great, but bring with them an unpleasant smell - most gardeners just snip these off as soon as they appear.
How to care for a Purple Passion plant
If you want your Purple Passion to grow into a lovely, healthy plant, then follow our guide below. As we alluded to, there isn't a huge amount that you need to know about how to take care of a Purple Passion plant, but it's important to know what to do and when to ensure it really thrives in your home.
We'll start with the watering requirements. Purple Passion plants don't require that much water generally, and are relatively drought tolerant. They'll need more water during their growing season (Spring and Summer), than they do over the Autumn and Winter. There is a simple test to ensure you are watering at the right time - just feel the top few inches of the soil surface. If you feel moist soil, you can leave it a little longer before watering, and if it is dry, give it a little drink.
The key here is not to overwater. You want to keep the soil moist, but you don't want soggy soil. If water is left to stagnate in the soil, you run the risk of root rot, which is very bad for the plant. Only water when the top few inches of soil feel dry.
Top tip: When watering, aim directly onto the soil, rather than on the leaves. The little hairs on the leaves trap moisture, and they can waterlog if you pour directly on them.
In terms of light, Purple Passion plants thrive in bright, indirect light. They're okay with a little bit of shade, and they do struggle a bit in full sun (they are used to shady forests originally), so a North facing window is usually ideal. Bright light, but not in direct sunlight.
This plant doesn't need any misting, in fact that will all just get caught in the hairs and do it more harm than good.
Finally, on pruning, the plant can experience leggy growth at times, and the best way to solve this is to pinch the vines, about two inches above the soil, from time to time when you notice. This will encourage fuller, thicker growth. You can also cut off flower buds when they appear.
Here's our quick-fire guide to Purple Passion plant care:
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Origins: South East Asia, specifically Indonesia
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How much light: Bright, indirect light - out of direct sun.
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Water requirements: When the top soil is dry - this will be more in the growing season than in the Winter and Autumn.
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Humidity requirements: Dry is better - keep those delicate little hairs out of water.
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Soil requirements: Well-draining potting mix is perfect. Good drainage holes are essential.
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Temperature requirements: 15°C to 21°C, basically standard house temperature will be fine - just avoid cold drafts
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Pruning requirements: Trim leggy vines when you see them - remove flowers or buds if you don't like the smell!
Propagating Purple Passion plants
You can easily propagate Purple Passion plants from cuttings - all you need to do is use a sharp knife to take a small branch (a few inches) and remove most of the leaves, leaving around four. Then just put it in a small pot with some decent potting mix, using a pencil to make a small hole for it. Fill the hole back in, water well and cover it with a plastic bag. Pop it on a windowsill and you new plant should grow!
Assemble your dream display with Prickle
A Purple Passion plant is a wonderful addition to any houseplant display. The unique foliage works brilliantly with other houseplants, offering a little flash of vibrant purple in a sea of green. You can put together the perfect collection for your home with us - check out our other products, especially our bundles, and see what would work best. We also have a great outdoor plants collection.
If you need any help or advice, we're here for you. Get in touch with our team via social media (@PrickleplantsUK) or email (contact@prickleplants.co.uk), and we will get back to you using all our expertise and experience.