Purple passion plant is unique type of plant from the rest of the other houseplants that some people find it unusual, but most of them think that this plant can give their house a new look which will adds four moons to your house and off course its looks stunning.
The leaves of this plant had a velvet shape in it which sometimes looked like maple tree leaves.
Let me tell why to care because it’s unique and why people love this plant more as you may know these plants have leaves of dark greenish color with purple hair at the top of each leaf.
Its stem also has purplish color when it matures otherwise you will see its leaves ,branch, stem in green color & it also comes in the UK’s Merit list of Royal Horticultural Society Awards.
It is Low maintenance Perennial plant So if you daily go to the office then it is the best & pretty plant to grow at home.
Background – Purple Passion Plant
Table of Contents
Do you know because of the leaves pattern this plant is also known by the name velvet plant and the other one which we call it as purple passion plant.
This plant blooms in early fall or in winter and shows very attractive orange flowers.
The Scientific or Binomial name of this plant is Gynura aurantiaca. In many pictures you will find its flower color in yellow but its not , the flower color is orange.
The plant can grow about a height of 11-12 inch or 26 to 30 cm. These plants grow in garden or yard areas and never used to grow indoors.
This plant comes from the Asteraceae Family and they are first found in Southeast Asia, Now they grow in many other countries including the United states of America , Africa , South America, Florida, Mesoamerica, etc.
These plants are flowering plants having USDA hardiness zone 10a,11a,12a,10b,11b,12b.
Purple Passion Plant
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A plant which have similarity with the purple passion plant is the below purple heart plant, You can also check this one.
Purple Heart Plant
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Purple Passion Plant Care
Gynura aurantiaca, Purple passion plant care indoor and outdoor includes the right temperature, enough watering, well draining soil and much more. Passion plants also need fertilizer for foliage and good location so it gets the partial light to be healthy. You need to put this plant in a good cool location as they like cool temperatures. The best growing temperature for this plant is 17 to 22°C. It needs filtered light so don’t put these in direct sunlight.
To Answer on how to care give them enough water so that their soil gets moist and they get moisture but don’t over water as it will lead to rotting of roots. Mix good fertilizer on every 15th day in the early spring season till fall.
Remove Flowers when this plant blooms otherwise they will stink and spread a very unattractive smell. Flower blooms are the indication that the plant reaches its maturity level so take its cutting and plant a new plant in a new pot. All the best !
Here are 7 tips on How to Care Purple Passion Plant :
Temperature
The first thing that you have to keep in mind is that this plant likes colder temperatures,but it also perfectly grows in normal temperature.You have to take care that this plant does not get much heat because this plant(Gynura aurantiaca) does not like heat, it stays in the warmer area for long otherwise it sure feels weak.
The Ideal temperature in which you can grow this plant is 61 to 74°F. If you live in warmer states like Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana,Georgia then you have to keep it in some cool area so that the plant can maintain its strength & doesn’t get weak.
You should not keep this plant in a temperature below 61°F. You should keep this plant in a colder area as they like cold temperatures.
Sunlight
This lovely plant likes indirect sunlight and if the light is very good from the window in your room, then you can keep it there, but you must filter the light from the window first before putting the plant there, to filter the light you need to put the whole curtain so that that the light can be filtered proper & yes it will properly grow with curtain light reflection.
Also understand if you put this plant in a direct sunlight area , it will start to grow a leggy condition in which a new stem grows between leaves and the stem that will lead to the plant becoming weak from the main stem and eventually dies.
And if you place this plant in some shady area, then it will lose its popular purple color & after that it starts to fade in upcoming days.
If there is no light spot in your place, then I suggest you buy artificial lights which provide proper light to the plant. Even in those lights the plant can maintain its growth very easily.
Soil
You can grow this plant(Gynura aurantiaca) in normal soils, just keep in mind that the pot you are keeping this plant in should have proper holes in it and if you blend vermiculite in it, then it will add extra protection to a rot condition.
These plants like to be in moist soil but you have to pay attention to its watering.
Also Read : China doll plant – 8 Tips on Growing and Caring
Water
You will be surprised to know that its root can break easily so take good care of purple passion plants.As far as water is concerned,Watering is important but it does not mean that it makes it full of water which can spoil its roots.
Rotting occurs when water is not drained properly. You need proper draining soil or light dig soil above soil surface and refresh its soil with a thin wooden stick every 3-4 days, it can boost the air circulation in roots that will lead to good plant health.
When you do over watering, it can lose its purple hair color and also its leaves start falling and the whole plant will look dull.
How much water to give to a plant, you can know by looking at its size and root structure.
First give it water until the water leaks out from the pot then check next day if it the soil is moist and if you find it moist don’t give water until it’s actually dried ,wait for some hour or day and check back now the soil gets dry So water it that is the best way to know how many days after it needed water.
Most of the time they love to be in moist soil when the heat is high. Water requirement is high in spring and early summers.
Humidity
Humidity is best if it gets naturally, some people spray water on the plants to create humidity but it is dangerous for the purple passion plant(Gynura aurantiaca) and it can rot its root if spray water stays longer in leaves.This plant likes medium to high natural humidity. In this new generation, we have got a lot of new gadgets, yes one of them is Humidifier which is very good for the plant.
You can also keep this plant in the bathroom or in your kitchen where we can see moderate humidity exist .
There is another method that can be used to make moisture for the plant , this needs a tray that is larger than the size of the pot and also lots of pebbles to put in the tray then you have to fill the tray with water until the water starts to see with the pebble.
Now put the plant pot above the tray surface where you put pebble. This will create natural humidity for plants that can boost its growth.
Purple Passion Plant Flower
Purple passion plant flower grows in the winter season and that time when passion plant flower come out for the first time, they look the same as the Dandelion plant. Flower is yellow and orange in color but one thing no one likes about this plant.
that its fragrance is a very bad , ugly and offensive odor. It is possible that a lot of people are allergic to this flower smell but still you can snip off all the flowers to remove the bad smell or you can grow these plants in the garden or backyard.
But let me tell you that the flower bloom can happen after 2nd or 3rd years, so you do not have to take tension. It will never bloom in the first year. take care of this plant, it is still a good looking one.
Potting and Repotting
Potting with good fertile soil ,but what about its repotting? so this plant usually doesn’t require repotting. If you do repot it make sure to repot it with utmost care , you should be careful that the roots do not break it.
As you know repotting purple passion plant is never necessary because it has a short lifespan and in that 2-3 year of its life this plant stays in the same location indoors and doesn’t demand much , grows beautifully then when it matures the purple hair leaves start to fade and lose their color after some days.
Then you can dispose it but with this short life it won’t be asking for extra space growing in its position , shows you a beautiful flower and then fades.
By seeing every condition of this plant you don’t even need its repotting. It just grows and fades with time.
Also Read : Black Eyed Susan Vine Plant – Best Caring and 7 Growing Tips
How to Grow Purple Passion Plant (Gynura aurantiaca)
To grow these plants(Gynura aurantiaca) well, either place them in partial light or else in such a place where only 4-5 hours of direct light is received.One good thing about this plant is that it can survive for a long time without water.
Its water retention is good, so you don’t have to take much trouble to grow it, but still you can add water to it whenever its soil gets dry.If you think that this plant is overgrowing then you can cut some of its branches & leaves from the top layer, this will lead its life to grow more years.By removing its branches, it will make this plant more beautiful & keep its growth in control.
And keep in mind that do not keep these plants in too much sunlight, it will lead to pale leaves and eventually burning spots.
Purple Passion Plant Propagation
Propagation is simple , it is not that confusing. To tell you on how to propagate purple passion plant is you need to cut a healthy stem of this plant using a sterilized scissor and also take the thick stem as it will develop root faster.
Make sure the stem you cut is not full of diseases. You need only 3-4 inches of stem to propagate this plant and remember to remove the leaves at the bottom, don’t remove the top leaves it should have at least 2-3 leaves.
After taking the cutting apply rooting hormone powder at the bottom of the stem and wait.Now prepare a small container for your new plant and add sand and 1/4 bark, 1/4 perlite , blend all these and put these in a small container, add water and let the sand rest.
Now take the cutting and dig a hole with your finger and put the cutting in the soil container. Maintain its moisture by giving it water daily. After 14-15 days check if any root is developed , then move this in a bigger container and give indirect sunlight.
It will grow as a new plant. Also I check the video for easy understanding.
Purple Passion Plant Fertilizer
They require fertilizer every 7-8 days in its growing season. You can use any simple organic fertilizer for your purple passion plant. In winter season they require little bit of fertilizer and the timing would be once every 30-31 days that is recommended.
You can use purple passion plant fertilizer by Osmocote –Check its price on .
Purple passion plant Pruning
To answer on how to prune purple passion plant is to remove the stem which develop leggy condition and then move to tall vines and cut that and lastly prune all the flower as these flower produce very bad odor which we can’t stand it’s very unnatural.
Yes I understand those are pretty looking yellow orange flowers but they do smell very bad so either grow them outdoors or if indoors snip off all flowers. Its vines grow bigger to a size of 8 feet so in order to limit its size we have to cut it down to 3 feet that will encourage its growth and save your indoor space.
Remove all leaves which you see getting dull and also remove the extra stems you see at the bottom if you think it has been affected by pests and diseases. Pruning is very much important , it not only improves plants health but also its look.
how to prune with care
Purple passion plant benefits
This plant not only popular with its beauty but also with its simple care.
Here are the benefits of purple passion plant :
1 . Best for home décor.
2 . Short lived.
but can be grown from cutting easily.
3 . Easy to care & maintenance.
4 . They can easily tolerate cold temperatures.
where other plants die in the same situation, this plant has an advantage over that.
Purple passion plant seeds
You can grow this plant using seeds and if you have that plant(Gynura aurantiaca) available then stem cutting can also make a new purple passion plant. To purchase purple passion plant seeds is to let me tell you that its seeds are not available in stores.
And Even in online e-com website , what you can get is the stem cutting of this plant that can be used to grow this plant – Here are the seeds – Check the Price in .
Purple passion plant terrarium
Purple passion plant terrarium is a unique and different way which is used for the home decor and it actually looks very beautiful. Terrarium is a transparent glass container where we input soil and the live plant in it that can be only open for its maintenance.
Purple passion plant(Gynura aurantiaca) for sale
The sale of this plant is running on . You can buy it by going to directly using our special link. Here Check the price in .
Purple passion plant Walmart
Either you can buy this purple passion plant Walmart’s offline store or you can directly go to what we suggest you to use as it is very convenient to buy from – here is check price on .
Variegated purple passion plant
Variegated purple passion plant are very famous fuzzy houseplants. It is the same as the purple passion plant with light pink color on its leaves in the edge and green color at the bottom. It grows about 25 to 35 inches tall and spread about 17-18 inches wide.
It is generally grown in pot or container and doesn’t like to grow in garden area. Blooming time would be in the ending of spring and starting of summer. Soil should be slightly acidic having pH of 5.6 to 6.5 and make sure it doesn’t go below 5.5.
They love consistent watering because it enjoys the moist soil so keep them in moist soil and don’t make them wait for water , give it when the soil dries. USDA hardiness zone is 9a to 11b and they grows in full sun or in partial shade both environment this plant enjoys.
Propagating method is similar to its original plant species.
Purple passion plant droopy
This is the same condition when people over water the plant which makes leaves droopy , inside the root is started to root because of over water , take this plant in a filtered light area and make sure to give water when soil gets dry.
FAQ’s
How do you take care of a purple passion plant? Limit over watering, the plant(Gynura aurantiaca) requires moist and well drained soil, use pebble tray to keep moisture around the plant to perfectly grow it. Avoid spraying water on leaves , give water only to roots. use fertilizer on every 14-15th day in spring to fall , when winter comes after every 32 days.
How big does a purple passion plant get? These plants can grow about a height of 6-8 feet tall but if it grows that much then with time it will lose its bright colors. Make sure to prune it to maintain its vibrant color by limiting its length to 3 feet only. It will boost its growth and even get rid of old and dead leaves.
Why is my purple passion plant wilting? This happens when you either give too much water or not given proper water. Most of the time people try to make the soil moist by over watering it and it damages the root that leads to wilting. Touch the soil surface below 1 inch to check the water if it’s dried and if not don’t water it.
Is a purple passion plant poisonous? As per the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , this plant is not poisonous to Dogs, Cats, and also Non-Toxic to Horses. According to the UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT this plant is considered as safe and not toxic. And even if still anyone eats and touches it can give temporary illness.
Can you propagate purple passion in water? Propagating it using water is actually unsuccessful , it eventually leads to rotting of roots. But you can take the stem cutting and put in moist soil that way it can grow properly. stem cutting is perfect for propagation not water.
Is Purple Passion toxic to cats? According to ASPCA. org they have mentioned that it’s not toxic or poisonous to cats , horses, dogs. Take care of this plant, they never hurt anyone.
How often should I water my purple passion plant? You can give it water daily that way its soil can be moist which boosts its growth but remember not to over water this plant as it can lead to root rot. Also yes it can grow without water someday but don’t make it wait for the water , give them whenever necessary.
Can you buy purple passion? Yes there are many online and offline stores which have this beautiful flower plant(Gynura aurantiaca) . Online is the best option because you don’t need to search more you can find it from one source.
Purple passion plant flower smell? it has very bad , unpleasant , ugly kind for smell. if you have allergy then you stay away from it. It can’t be tolerated by people with smell allergy. When its flower blooms , snip off from its branch but don’t worry it’ll only bloom after its 2nd or 3rd year of growing.
Conclusion:
In my advice this plant does have a very unique leaf type which is bright and looks quite attractive.
I haven’t seen this color combination in any plant , it is easy to care for and grows, doesn’t have much demand , and safely stays indoor.
This plant is best for those who go to office work and come late at night as they need water one time that’s it. It is a very pretty plant in my observation.
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