Trying to bring a neglected plant back to life..

by Sarah
(New York)

I bought this in the succulent section of a garden store and didn't notice until I got home that no label was on it. I have no idea what it is and have been guessing at the care it needs. I'm pretty sure it's dying a very slow death. I can't find it anywhere online. Please help! Thank you so much.

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Apr 14, 2020

Hmm.
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

This looks like it might be Tradescantia sillamontana. You can see a picture to compare it to here. Scroll down a bit on the page.

If this is what it is, you're in luck. These are easy to root cuttings from.

Just start snipping, cutting off anything that's showing signs of life. Then stick the cuttings (stem side down) into a jar of water.

In a week or two they'll be showing signs of new roots, so gather a clump of five or six stems together and put them into a hole in the middle of a pot. This will make several very nice plants, and you'll find new homes for them quickly.

Discard the pot and the roots, they're most likely dead. These plants are not really succulents. They need more water than most succulent plants, but don't overwater them. They like it 'just right' like Goldilocks.

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