Details
| Full name | Tradescantia (Continental Group) ‘EC-TRADE-2011’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Established with a description by Eden Collection B.V. (2021). Also known as:
The earliest established name is now treated as the breeder’s chosen name and accepted. |
| Origins | Origins recorded by Eden Collection B.V. (2021). Found as a naturally-occurring branch mutation from an unnamed Tradescantia plant in Sappemeer, the Netherlands. Selected by Obed Smit and introduced by Eden Collection B.V., both in Sappemeer, the Netherlands. |
| Classification | It is described as a sport from Tradescantia cerinthoides (Eden Collection B.V., 2021), but it does not match that species at all. It is currently treated as an unknown species or hybrid in the Continental Group. |
| Legal protection | Patented in the USA (Eden Collection B.V., 2021). |
| Availability | Mass-produced around the world, generally sold under the invalid trade names ‘Sweetness’ or ‘Feeling Flirty’. |
Description
Preserved in a herbarium specimen (“Tradescantia (Continental Group) ‘EC-TRADE-2011′”, 2023).
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition: 2019 reprint).
| Cultivar Group | Tradescantia Continental Group. |
| Growth habit | Very compact and heavily-branching stems which tend to crawl along the surface. Growth is fairly slow. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2-4mm wide with internodes 1-3cm long, moderate yellowish green (N138B). Leaves are rounded ovals, 2-5.5cm long and 1.5-2.5cm wide, smooth except for a few hairs at the top of the sheath. Each leaf has a uniform pattern of stripes, with a pale purple (N75D) background and margins, and narrow stripes of moderate yellowish green (N138B) and pale green (N138C) extending up from the base. Leaf undersides are greyish reddish purple (N77C) under green areas and strong reddish purple (N78B) under pale areas, with moderate olive green (137A) veins. Sheaths range from moderate yellow green (138D) to pale purplish pink (65D). |
| Flowers | Buds are creamy-white with green tips, scattered with hairs. Open flowers are 15mm across. Petals are pure white. Stamens have many white filament hairs and yellow anthers. Pistil is white. |
References
Eden Collection B.V. (2021, December 28). Tradescantia plant named ‘EC-TRADE-2011’ [US patent PP33,788 P2]. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Internet Archive link.
Tradescantia (Continental Group) ‘EC-TRADE-2011’. (2023). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0168555]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.