If you’re looking for a vibrant, eye-catching addition to your garden that is easy to grow, look no further than the purple passion plant! This fantastic tropical flower thrives in warm climates and can be easily grown from seed.
Keep reading for care and growing tips, or head over to our shop to order your own seeds today!
About the Purple Passion
Gynura Aurantiaca, or the purple passion, is also called Purple Velvet and Velvet Plant. This adorable plant has unique long purple and velvety green leaves that encourage soft feelings and relaxation.
Origin
The Purple passion originated from the tropical regions of Asia and Africa. As a tropical plant, it loves a warm, sunny and humid atmosphere.
Characteristics
The Purple Passion has desirable long violet and green velvet leaves. Mature plants produce vibrant orange flowers that contrast the leaves though these flowers are not pleasant smelling.
The plant wants moist but not waterlogged soil and benefits from complete liquid fertilizer in summer and spring. It needs a warm and humid environment and grows fast. It loves to be pruned to promote new growth and make the plant lush.
The plant is not toxic for children and pets, making it ideal for indoors. It cannot tolerate drought and frost.
Growing Instructions
The Purple Passion is relatively easy to care for. It thrives best with bright indirect light in a warm environment, well-draining soil, a regular watering schedule, and some liquid fertilizer during the growing season.
Light
The Purple passion needs bright indirect light and benefits from little exposure to direct sun to encourage its bright color. Place in an area that receives bright indirect light like the porch or indoors near windows. Do not put it near tall plants that may cut its supply of bright indirect light.
Water
The Purple passion would suffer root rot if overwatered, so it is essential to have a regular watering schedule when the topsoil has dried. It loves moist soil but is not soggy.
When watering, avoid the leaves and water directly from the soil around it until the water runs out of the drainage holes, or you may apply bottom watering, but make sure it doesn’t sit long on water.
It is sensitive to drought, wilting leaves would tell you it is under watered, and you might have to water it more often.
Soil
A well-draining soil mix that will retain moisture around the roots will make the Purple passion happy. Avoid heavy soil or too much sand in the soil mix.
Organic matter mixed with perlite and orchid bark will give you a well-draining soil. General house potting soil will also be okay. Make sure that the pot you will use has enough drainage holes so that water will not stay logged and cause root rot.
Fertilizer
A little quality complete liquid fertilizer during the growing season in summer and spring will help your Purple passion grow lush. Do not fertilize during autumn and winter.
Temperature and Humidity
The Purple passion needs medium to high humidity in a warm environment. If humidity is low, the leaves will begin to dry. High temperature and low humidity will damage the plant. The ideal temperature is 15 degrees Celsius or 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
During winter, keep it indoors as frost will kill it.
Pruning and Flowers
Pruning will produce younger, and brighter leaves as the leaves become dull when mature. Pruning will also remove leggy growth and promote the lush appearance of the plant.
When the plant matures, it produces flowers. The flowers may also be pruned because they have an unpleasant smell. If you let the flowers bloom, they produce a vibrant orange hue to contrast the leaves’ color. Pruning the flowers will not hurt the plant but will have more energy to produce more leaves.
Potting and Repotting
You may repot the Purple passion in spring to encourage more growth. Choose a slightly larger plant than the last and load it with well-draining soil.
How to Propagate
Propagating the Purple passion is through stem cuttings. Snip some cuttings with a clean cutter and stick on moist soil mix to root. You may also opt to root the stem cuttings in water before transferring them to the soil.
Let the leaves stay out of the water to avoid leaf damage.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Pests such as aphids, mealybugs, scales, fungus gnats, and spider mites can attack the Purple passion. These insects leave an ugly residue on the leaves and stems. Control these by using pesticides and fungicides.
Root rot and rust spots due to overwatering may also become a problem. A regular watering schedule when the top soil is dry will prevent overwatering. In root rot, you may cut the stem and put it in water to propagate.
Common Problems
Browning edges of the Purple passion leaves may be due to watering the leaves.
Curling leaves mean that the plant is drying out from too much direct sunlight. Move to a shadier area that receives bright indirect light.
If there is leggy growth, it is also due to a lack of light. Transfer the plant to a warm, bright area.
Conclusion
The Purple passion is a nice plant to keep inside the house. And it is not toxic, and it is easy to care for. Just make sure the soil mix is well-draining but keeps the roots moist. Put in a warm area receiving bright indirect light.
You may transfer it to get some direct sun sometimes to make the plant bright but not too much because it can also get sunburned. Water well and not too much to avoid overwatering. Avoid watering the leaves and apply complete liquid fertilizer in summer and spring for more robust growth.
Propagate in spring through stem cuttings to give to friends and family. Prune when necessary to remove unsightly stems and make the plant lush.
Happy planting!
