Details
| Full name | Tradescantia (Continental Group) ‘Angel Wings’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Listed online with photos by Korbas (2022). Established by Rowe (2025). |
| Origins | Unknown. |
| Classification | Often labelled as Tradescantia albiflora, which is now considered a botanical synonym for Tradescantia fluminensis (POWO, 2022). It does not fully match that species, but appears to be an unknown hybrid from the subgenus Austrotradescantia. Like other variegated Austrotradescantia cultivars, it is now placed in the Continental Group. |
| Legal protection | None. |
| Availability | Circulates among collectors worldwide. |
Description
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition; 2019 reprint).
Preserved as a herbarium specimen (“Tradescantia ‘Angel Wings'”, 2025).
| Cultivar group | Tradescantia Continental Group. |
| Growth habit | Upright to sprawling, very densely branched. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2.5-4mm thick, with internodes 0.5-2.5cm long, greyish olive green (NN137C). Leaves are spirally or alternately arranged along the stem. Leaves are pointed ovals 4-8cm long and 2-4cm wide, with no stalk (petiole). The upper surfaces are greyish olive green (NN137D) with marginal variegation, usually pale yellow green (157A), occasionally blushing very light purple (76B). Undersides are moderate yellow green (138B) under the dark areas, and pale yellow green (157A) to light reddish purple (N75A) under the light areas. Leaf sheaths are ilght purplish grey (N187D) with darker veins. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are hairless. The leaf margins are lined with tiny hairs (ciliate or ciliolate), with a cluster of longer hairs at the top of the sheath. |
| Flowers | 10-12mm across. Petals, stamens, and pistil are white, anthers are yellow. |
References
Brickell, C. D., Alexander, C., Cubey, J. J., David, J. C., Hoffman, M. H. A., Leslie, A. C., Malécot, V., Jin, X. (2016). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. PDF link.
Korbas, D. (2022). Tradescantia albiflora variegata ‘Angels wings’ (large form of white clone). Tradescantia Plant. Internet Archive link.
POWO. (2022). Tradescantia albiflora. Plants of the World Online. Link.
Rowe, A. (2025). Compiling the first Tradescantia cultivar checklist. HortScience, 60(9); 1534-1542. Open access link.
Tradescantia ‘Angel Wings’. (2025). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0174504]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.