Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Nanouk’

Breeding and natural origin of Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Nanouk’

Wander Durk Tuinier bred ‘Nanouk’ in Sappemeer, the Netherlands, in 2012 from two unnamed selections then identified as Tradescantia albiflora. That name is now treated as a synonym of T. fluminensis.

Tradescantia fluminensis is native from southeastern and southern Brazil to northern Argentina. In the wild, its stems run over the forest floor and climb low vegetation in wet tropical forest.

How to grow Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Nanouk’

Choose bright filtered light and brief gentle sun. Strong light introduced gradually keeps the short growth dense. Hot midday exposure can mark the cream and pink-purple areas.

Temperature. Keep temperatures around 15–24 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 10 °C.

Aim for 50–60% humidity.

Water thoroughly once the upper mix has dried and let the pot drain. The sturdy fleshy stems tolerate a short dry spell. Repeated drought crisps the lower leaves, and constant wetness damages the roots.

Use well-drained compost and leave room for the upright-to-spreading stems. Choose a wide, modest-sized pot. It gives the spreading stems room while keeping the volume of slow-drying mix controlled.

Feeding. Give a light fertiliser application while fresh growth is developing.

Pruning and propagation. Pinch only the longest shoots above a node to maintain branching. Healthy tips can be rooted to renew an older sparse centre. Use cuttings with one or more nodes in lightly moist propagation mix or water.

Repotting. When roots occupy the available space, shift the plant into a pot only a little larger. Replace slow-draining, degraded mix or steady an unstable plant without enlarging the pot when the roots still have room.

Troubleshooting Tradescantia ‘Nanouk’

Pink and purple tones become less intense

Leaf colour can shift with light intensity, temperature and leaf age. Move gradually into brighter filtered light and assess the next leaves; fertiliser cannot restore colour to existing tissue.

The compact stems develop longer gaps

Insufficient light or rich feeding can loosen the naturally compact habit. Increase filtered brightness, reduce excessive feeding and prune the longest healthy shoots above a node.

Leaf margins become brown and crisp

Check for a repeatedly dry root ball, hot direct sun and salt build-up. Water the full root zone, protect the pale areas from abrupt sun and flush accumulated fertiliser.

Yellow softness spreads from the stem base

Wet compost is weakening the thick roots and fleshy stems. Remove rotting sections, improve drainage and let the upper mix dry before rewatering.

Aphids or mealybugs crowd the new growth

Inspect the short leaf axils and developing tips. Isolate the plant, wash off visible pests and repeat control until the compact centre remains clean.

Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Nanouk’ can irritate skin and the mouth

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs that may chew it.
• Its sap and leaves can irritate sensitive skin, the mouth and the digestive tract.
• Exposure may cause red or itchy skin, mouth irritation, drooling or an upset stomach. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or persist.

Where does the name Tradescantia fluminensis come from?

Tradescantia commemorates the father and son John Tradescant. Fluminensis comes from the Latin flumen, meaning river.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Tradescantia in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 288; Heinrich Bernard Ruppius had proposed the name.

José Mariano da Conceição Vellozo first described Tradescantia fluminensis in 1829 in Flora Fluminensis, volume 3, 140, plate 152.