Foliage Friday: Tricolor Oyster Plant

Rhoeo discolor -- one name for it.

This little groundcover or house plant is in the Tradescantia or spiderwort family, similar to Wandering Jew-type plants.  I like the white and green variegation on the front of the leaves, but it's the reverse that's really striking -- a bright clear purple.  Oyster plant does flower off and on, and the flower is contained in two clamshell-shaped bracts (hence the name) but the foliage is the real star.

Tradescantia spathacea -- another name for it.

This plant is not entirely cold-hardy here.  On most winters, it should be safe up against the house or planted in a protected bed, but it's only reliable in zone 9b and south.  I keep mine in a pot and bring it in, just in case.  It thrives outside, in everything from mostly shade to mostly sun.  It doesn't seem picky about water either.  It's often grown as a semi-epiphyte, affixed to trees where it gets plenty of rain.  But it likes regular watering too.  It's got a fancy look to it, but it's just as sturdy as its spiderwort family, if a little more tender.