Species · genus Tradescantia · Commelinaceae

Moses-in-the-cradle

Tradescantia spathacea Sw.

Also known as: Boat Lily · Boatlily · Oysterplant · Oyster Plant · Cradle Lily

Growth habit

subshrub

Native range

Belize, Guatemala, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest

Reference · T. spathacea

Cultivars of T. spathacea

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under T. spathacea yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Tradescantia spathacea is a clumping subshrub from the seasonally dry forests and rocky clearings of Mexico and Central America, where its fleshy, water-storing leaves let it weather dry spells. Give it bright indirect light and let the top inch of mix dry out before watering, roughly every 7 to 14 days; its succulent foliage rots more easily than it wilts. Ordinary household humidity suits it.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–29 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining potting mix with some grit

Propagation

Offset pups separated from the base, or seed

Fertilizing

Monthly balanced feed during active growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Small white flowers cupped in boat-shaped bracts

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Inch plant / wandering dude — irritant sap; dermatitis, mild GI upset. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Moses-in-the-cradle yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.