I’m Avery Rowe (they/them), I’m an independent researcher and tradescantia specialist in the UK. I write everything on this website, and take most of the photos.
I started growing and studying tradescantias in 2020, and quickly realised that almost no-one had ever done any formal research on them in cultivation. Cultivar names were confused, poorly-documented, and information was scattered if it existed at all.
So I started doing the work myself. I was appointed international cultivar registration authority for the Tradescantia genus, which means I’m officially responsible for keeping track of the correct names for every cultivar in the world. I also maintain the first ever official cultivar checklist, where all the information is free to access online.
I hold the UK National Plant Collection of tender Tradescantia cultivars, which acts as a living archive of all the tradescantia plants which are grown in the country. Visitors can come and view the collection by appointment. I’ve introduced several new cultivars that I bred myself.
Alongside all this, I research and write educational articles about plant care, fact checks, identification, and naming. I document everything I can about the cultivation of tradescantias, so that in future no-one will have to deal with the mess that I found when I first started! I’ve also written or featured in a few articles, podcasts, and other publications which I keep track of on this scrapbook page.
I propagate and sell plants from my collection through my small-scale nursery. The shop isn’t open all the time – instead there are one-month order windows in spring and autumn. I ship all over the world, with phytosanitary certificates so the exports are safe and legal.
I always love finding new information and helping people understand my research! If you want to share any interesting sources, or ask questions about any of my work, feel free to get in touch.
