Cyanotis: The Quiet Jewel of the Spiderwort Clan

 

Cyanotis doesn’t shout for attention. It glimmers. In the wide and wandering family of Commelinaceae—kin to the familiar Tradescantias—it’s the understated cousin, the one with feline fuzz and blue-violet blooms that appear as if someone brushed the petals with starlight. Gardeners often stumble upon Cyanotis by accident and end up wondering how such a modest plant has survived in the shadows for so long. It’s a fair question; beauty like this rarely keeps quiet forever.

Origins: A Plant with One Foot in the Old World

Cyanotis is native to the sunburned landscapes of Africa and parts of Asia, where it grows low to the earth, shrugging off heat and leaning into sunlight as though it’s an old friend. Some species stretch across the Sahel and East African savannas; others cling to rocky outcrops in India and Arabia. These tough origins show in the plant’s gritty resilience—Cyanotis would rather tough it out than fuss.

The best-known cultivated species—Cyanotis somaliensis, often cheerfully nicknamed “Furry Kittens” or 'Kitten's Ears"—hails from Somalia. Its soft, velvet-leafed rosettes make it a natural charmer in containers and greenhouse benches alike.

Preferred Climate Zones: Warmth, Light, and a Dry Backbone

In the United States, Cyanotis sits comfortably in USDA Zones 10–12. It’s warm-loving, sun-seeking, slightly stubborn in the cold… and absolutely unforgiving of frost. Anyone north of Miami will need to keep it in pots, greenhouses, or an indoor winter window.

What Cyanotis wants most:

• Warm days and warm nights

• Bright light—full sun to bright indirect light

• Excellent drainage

• A dry spell now and then

Think of it like a camel with better hair: it stores what it needs and dislikes prolonged dampness.

Uses: Decorative, Durable, and Surprisingly Versatile

Cyanotis isn’t a medicinal hero or a culinary standby. This plant serves a simpler calling—beauty, texture, and charm.

Gardeners use Cyanotis for:

• Container arrangements where soft foliage contrasts with succulents

• Hanging baskets (for trailing species)

• Houseplant displays, especially for collectors of curiosities

• Rock gardens and xeriscapes in frost-free climates

• Terrariums, provided they’re kept airy and not swampy

• Modern minimalist planters, where its quiet geometry shines

That fuzzy foliage begs to be touched, though good manners say you shouldn’t. It bruises easily, like a too-ripened peach.

Planting & Care: The Old Ways Still Work

Cyanotis doesn’t require wizardry—only discipline. The sort of discipline your grandmother used for keeping ferns alive in a parlor no bigger than a pantry.

Planting

• Use well-draining soil, leaning sandy or gritty.

• Choose a pot with generous drainage holes.

• Plant shallowly; Cyanotis roots don’t like being buried alive.

• Water lightly after planting, then let it settle before giving more.

Light

Give it strong light, but spare it from the furnace-blast of afternoon scorch in desert climates. Morning sun works wonders.

Watering

Here’s where most gardeners go astray.

Water only when the soil is dry at least halfway down.
Overwatering is the fast road to mush.

Better slightly thirsty than sitting in a bog.

Humidity

Cyanotis will tolerate normal household humidity. It doesn’t pine for rainforest conditions; it’s from the tough country.

Feeding

A diluted balanced fertilizer during the warm months is enough. This plant is not a glutton.

Pruning & Grooming

• Pinch back leggy growth.

• Remove spent blooms.

• Avoid handling the leaves too much.

Your fingerprints will leave their mark like gossip in a small town.

Pests

If you water properly, pests rarely bother Cyanotis. Overwater, and you may find fungus gnats staging an insurrection.

Final Thoughts

Cyanotis is one of those plants that rewards a gentle touch and a bit of watchfulness. It whispers rather than sings, and in an age where every new cultivar seems to shout “LOOK AT ME,” there’s something refreshing about a plant with quiet confidence.

For gardeners looking to add a soft, subtle accent to their collection—something old-world, unpretentious, and a little bit whimsical—Cyanotis earns its place. Give it warmth, give it light, and it will repay you with that rare combination of durability and charm.

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Donna's Garden

When the McKenna's moved from backcountry Maine to southeast Georgia, they thought they had reached civilization at last.  But Brooklet is one of the quietest towns I know.  It's the slow, gentle pace of life that gives one time to work in the garden, think and be creative.

Donna, the lady of the house, is known for her thrift and exuberance.  Her well-known book, The $30 a Week Grocery Budget, first published in 1991, is a favorite of prudent homemakers.  She admits that the budget might be increased to $50 a week, but probably won't.  That's thrift.  Donna's exuberance shows in her hospitality with the table nearly groaning under the weight of food.  How does she do it?

Her garden reflects her character.  Nearly every plant was obtained for free, or propagated.  She, in turn, generously gives plants away, especially Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus).

Her husband, John, is a plant enthusiast.  Having worked around nurseries, he has brought home all kinds of seeds, bulbs and cuttings.  John, native to New Jersey,has been a licensed tour guide in Savannah, Georgia.  I bet he's always peeking into gardens en route.

Most of her acquisitions are old-fashioned varieties, their names often unknown to her.   Attractive weeds like spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) and Viola species grow in wild profusion along with cannas, crocosmia, daylilies, iris, roses and yarrow (Achillea spp.).  English boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa') line paths paved with recycled brick.  Snowrose (Serissa foetida) softens and fills bare corners.  Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii) beckons the nose.

Flower bulbs including shamrock (Oxalis spp.), Amaryllis (Hippeastrum cvs.), narcissus, lilies and bluebells (Hyacinthoides) pop up everywhere.  Escaped house plants (Setacea and Saxifraga stolonifera) have made themselves at home outdoors.  Conifers such as cedars (Cedrus deodora) and Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) punctuate the landscape.  Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), chocolate vine (Akebia quinata), creeping fig (Ficus pumila), wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), and Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) drape from porches, trellises and trees.  It's a joyful sight.

As we walked to the vegetable and herb garden, Donna had to show me what they had uncovered: spicebush (Lindera benzoin).  I explained how to make tea from it.

The raised bed vegetable garden is planted with garlic, arugula and rhubarb, along with more conventional plants.  Of course, herbs are grown not only in the herb garden, but in clay pots, decorative containers, and tucked into every imaginable crevice.  Mint seems to be Donna's ground cover of choice.

Whimsical sculptures, fountains and furnishings express Donna's effervescence.  A rain barrel is a sign of her care.

In another town, you might pass a garden like Donna's without noticing it.  Very old camellias screen some of it from the street.  But this is Brooklet, GA where everyone drives slowly.  So if you pass the McKenna house, you'll certainly be tempted to wonder what grows behind that evergreen wall.

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Resplendent Purple Queen

Plant names often contain emotional suggestions - reasonable enough since plants are named by impassioned beings.  So it is with Wandering Jew.  Known botanically as Tradescantia pallida (pronounced "trad-es-KAN-tee-uh PAL-lid-uh), the genus is named in honor of one or both of the John Tradescants.  Father and son, they were naturalists, botanists, gardeners and plant collectors.  It's very likely that the elder Tradescant (d. 1638) was considered when the genus was named.

Both Tradescants knew tragedy during their careers.  The elder was gardener to the 1st Duke of Buckingham, until the duke's assassination.  He was then employed by Charles I, king of England.  When the elder died, John the younger succeeded his father in service to Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria until the Queen fled because of England's Civil War.

The genus contains over 70 species,  3 of which are commonly called "Wandering Jew."  These species, including T. pallida, are trailing succulent plants that set down roots where the nodes touch soil.  As the plants progress, they form extensive ground covers.  That habit undoubtedly reminded someone of the Jewish diaspora or a doleful medieval legend, so the name connoting tragedy was bestowed.  The appellation continues to stir passions.

Tradescantia pallida also bears other common names: Purple Heart, Purple Queen.  Both hint at sadness.

Purple Queen is a fairly common plant in warm climates and often grown indoors in colder ones.  It's native to Mexico near the Gulf coast.  The species name, pallida, means pale.  But pale it is not, and there is nothing sad about it.  Succulent trailing stems and thick, juicy, purple leaves store up water for emergencies.  Pink flowers are produced throughout the growing season.

The plant grows quickly up to 18" high in full sun or partial shade and in almost any soil type as long as it is well-drained.  Each plant spreads about 12", but as it roots along the stem, the area covered may be much greater.  Because it is drought-tolerant, T. pallida is well-suited as a ground cover in dry areas, so is ideal for xeriscaping.

A ground cover of Purple Queen is rich in appearance, like a royal robe laid out.  It's also good for container gardening and hanging baskets, especially when accompanied by suitable companion plants of varying heights, textures and complementary colors, such as red, pink, white, yellow and green.

In addition to outdoor uses, it is also great for growing indoors.  In fact, Purple Queen is considered to be exceptionally effective in removing pollutants from the air.  Grow a few plants in a sunny window and breathe easier!

Purple Queen is hardy from USDA climate zone 7 through 11.  Frost may destroy the top-growth, but the plants revive when warm weather returns.  Recommended pH ranges from 5.5 to 7.5.  Space about 12" to 18" apart.

Resplendent, easy to grow and simple to maintain, you'll be quite happy to have Purple Queen in your colorful garden.

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