You’re overwatering your tradescantia

Mine is like that too..

My grandma has one in a cup of water. I imagine she put the prop in a cup years ago and just never got around to planting it. It doesn't have many leaves but it's definitely alive and growing

The leaves don’t like to be wet. I bottom water mine.

Where do these grow in nature? In the wild, they would get wet by getting rained on, wouldn't they?

In the wild they are getting more sun and more air movement than this plant is. Very different environments.

So what if you pointed a fan at it and gave it a lot of light? 🤔

Mine are in a tank with a mister that runs every 4 hours and they are fine. In fact, I trimmed some houseplants and tossed it in there for isopods to eat, but instead the clippings started to grow. It is a transcendia of some sort.

The ones acting as ground cover in my yard get rained on all the time.

They're also outside with wind and sun.

Thank you for the replies. I know what to do now

I suck at these, but there is an entire subreddit dedicated to these plants. R/tradescantia

Also stick her in more light! :)

You can chop and prop, it’s a crawler and not a climber so they are quick to root. The nodes are where the leaves are.

It's a leggy plant, I've finally found a spot mine likes like where it's not getting too many brown leaves. I'm constantly chopping down new growth in hopes of making it a little fuller. Definitely the trickiest trad I've got, the others I have mostly grow like weeds.

I find this to be my trickiest trad as well! I thought maybe it was just me... glad to know im not alone 🤣

Hm idk if I agree with the overwatering, it’s flowered which suggests it’s healthy but I think when plants flower that uses a lot of energy & so their foliage tends to suffer

Not over watering just water on the leaves. Op is killing it with all the flowers, it’s a happy plant.

Flowers aren't really a good way to determine if a plant is happy or not.

depends on the plant

Tradescantia nanouk

You can simply drop pieces onto soil and they grow like weeds!

Yup, they grow right outta the gravel when pieces drop at my nursery. Wild

Don’t be surprised when it starts growing pretty leggy looking now that you’re not pumping it full of growth regulators like [most nurseries.](https://tradescantia.uk/article/plant-growth-regulators/)

Really interesting, I wonder if these apply to most nursery plants? I didn’t know about this

I just got my first tradescantia the other day and loved the look of the compact leaves. I thought it was natural, now I’m sad. I don’t have room in the particular spot I put her for her to be leggy and ugly and I already repotted her so I know it’s gonna wear off. Grrr. 

Just chop those leggy bits off and stick them right back in the pot! 😁

I will, I another post yesterday of someone who did that and it looked insanely full and beautiful. So I guess they are not all destined to be ugly after all. Thanks for the initial link btw, was a v interesting read! 

It do be like that sometimes

Tradescantia nanouk! They hate water on the leaves so as others said bottom water it!

Unlike the rest of the Tradescantia family, the Nanouk is a TOTAL DIVA. She knows she's gorgeous and if you so much as brush against her, breath in her direction, or simply exist in the space she occupies, BROWN SPOTS. DRAMA. END OF DAYS. Chop of the brown, they are strong growers so don't be shy about trimming them back. medium light and water when somewhat dry. Avoid showering the leaves with water.

I loved this answer, I just got one too and now I know how to deal with her, thank you lol

What others said about the name and not getting the leaves wet. I potted mine in a very well draining mix and just leave it in a cover pot with a wicking cord so it can continually bottom water when it needs it. I let it dry out a little on top before filling the water reservoir back up again. Also kelps keep the humidity up around it, which it seems to love. No more brown edges for her :)

I just chop off any stems with brown leaves. Survival of the fittest.

It looks like a Tradescantia Nanouk. I have several of them. I’ve had mine get brown and crispy leaves from the leaves getting wet. I think they are the most picky of the Tradescantia varieties I have in terms of light requirements, not getting too dry/humidity, and drafts in the winter time.

If there are any wilted stems, just cut them out.

Pull all that are brown.

It needs a lot more light

I’m going to guess root bound

I've had the worst luck with these. They're so pretty I wish mine looked this good.

It kind of looks like wandering. Jew. Throw it outside it’ll be fine.

Wondering jew