Details
| Full name | Tradescantia ‘Maiden’s Blush’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. First documented with the spelling ‘Maiden Blush’ (“Tradescantia crassula”, 1992). The spelling ‘Maiden’s Blush’ was established with a description by Plant Delights (2007, with reference to their spring catalog), and is now the most widely used. Also known as:
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| Origins | Originated from Roy Cheek at Cannington College, UK (Bruce Harnett of Kernock Park Plants, personal correspondence, May 2022). Introduced by Kernock Park Plants before 1992 (“Tradescantia crassula”, 1992). A research study (He et al., 2011) on using radiation to induce mutations seems to show the same plant. The study is much too recent to have been the true origin of the cultivar – instead it must either be a mistake, or an identical mutation arose twice by chance. |
| Classification | The plant has been identified as Tradescantia crassula (“Tradescantia crassula”, 1992) and Tradescantia fluminensis (Royal Horticultural Society, 1999, p. 719). Because of the species uncertainty, is is currently treated as an unknown species or hybrid. |
| Legal protection | None. |
| Availability | Available from many nurseries, often under the invalid name ‘Blushing Bride’ [2005]. |
Description
Preserved in mutiple herbarium specimens (“Tradescantia crassula”, 1992′; “Tradescantia ‘Maiden’s Blush'”, 2023).
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition: 2019 reprint).
| Subgenus | Tradescantia subg. Austrotradescantia. |
| Growth habit | Varies strongly in different conditions, from delicate creeping or trailing stems indoors in warm temperatures, to strong upright growth outside. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2-8mm thick with internodes 2-5cm long, smooth except for one line of tiny hairs running along the length. The colour ranges from greyish olive green (NN137B) to dark greyish reddish brown (200A). Leaves are pointed ovals, 4-10cm long and 2-5cm wide, smooth except for a few hairs at the top of the sheath. In warm conditions, the leaves are uniform in colour. In cool or varied-temperature conditions, the leaves develop bold pale patches near the centre or base. The base colour of the upper surfaces is moderate olive green (147A) to greyish olive green (NN137A). The pale patches are light purplish grey (N187D). The undersides are moderate yellow green (147B) to dark purplish grey (N187A) under geen areas, and strong purple (77B) under pale patches. Leaf sheaths are moderate yellow green (138B) to greyish reddish purple (N77C). In cold or varied-temperature conditions, the leaves develop patches of white or pink near the centre or base. |
| Flowers | Flowers are 17-20mm across. Petals are white and pointed, sometimes with very slightly pink tips. Anthers are yellow, stamen filaments and pistil are white. |
References
Tradescantia crassula. (1992). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0064425]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.
Royal Horticultural Society. (1999). RHS Plant Finder 1999.
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. (2007). Plant Parenthood: 2007 Fall Sales Catalog & Plant Owner’s Manual.
He, J., Lu, D., Yu, L., Li, W. (2011). Pigment analysis of a color-leaf mutant in Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) irradiated by carbon ions. Nuclear Science and Techniques, 22, 77-83. doi:10.13538/j.1001-8042/nst.22.77-83.
Tradescantia ‘Maiden’s Blush’. (2023). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0155545]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.