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Not to be confused with the Passion Fruit, the Purple Passion plant or Gynura aurantiaca is a member of the Daisy family, Asteraceae.
Commonly known as the Velvet Plant, this individual is recognized for its silky leaves that are covered in soft purple hairs.
If you’re looking for a vivid sense of colour with a unique appeal, then consider adding the Purple Passion plant to your indoor collection.
Many flora enthusiasts choose to own a Purple Passion plant for two reasons, one being that unique flair. The other relates to how easy they are to keep alive, even in an indoor setting.
Caring for the Purple Passion Plant is relatively easy, but as with any new addition to the household, you’ll want to do your research. Use this care guide to learn about the needs of this Asteraceae and how to keep those striking leaves so vibrant.
Purple Passion Plant Care
To care for a Purple Passion Plant provide a temperature between 61-70°F (16-21°C). Use potting soil with 2 parts peat moss and 1 part sand that is slightly acidic and drains well but stays slightly moist. Provide it with a spot that gets bright to medium indirect light. Water once a week as a general rule of thumb. Keep the humidity between 40-60% for ideal conditions. Fertilize every 2-weeks using a liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength in spring and summer. Fertilize once a month during the rest of the year.
Purple Passion Plant Care
This is an image of the Purple Passion Plant found on IG:
PURPLE PASSION PLANT CARE SHEET
Native to regions of Southeast Asia, this plant is considered to be quite hardy and easy to grow.
This makes it a favourable candidate for exotic indoor individuals.
In order to allow this plant to stay such a vibrant purple, there are certain needs to be met. Don’t fret. We’ve gone through each, laying them out to make it an easy feat.
SOIL
Purple Passion plants grow best in slightly acidic soil using 2 parts peat moss and 1 part sand. You can use regular potting soil that drains well and stays slightly moist but never soggy.
Root rot is a common problem amongst Purple Passion plants, therefore making it pivotal for one to invest in a pot that has ample drainage for the water.
In fact, these roots are more sensitive than the roots of other indoor plants.
These members of Asteraceae do better when placed in soil that is slightly acidic.
Other than that, they don’t need much else in terms of soil requirements.
LIGHT
Purple Passion plants prefer a spot that gets bright, indirect sunlight or partial shade.
Keeping those leaves a bright shade of purple has a lot to do with the amount of sunlight that they receive.
Be careful not to place them in direct light, as this can cause damage.
A general rule of thumb is that the more intense the light is without being overexposed, the more vibrant the leaves will be.
WATERING
Water a Purple Passion plant once a week as a general rule of thumb.
Keeping in mind that these plants are predisposed to root rot due to their sensitive roots, limiting the amount of water you give them will be useful.
The soil should ideally be moist, but not overrun with water.
Even if you forget, it won’t seriously injure the plant as they can tolerate being dry for a little while.
TEMPERATURE
The best temperature for a Purple Passion plant is between 61-70°F (16-21°C).
Those choosing to house their Purple Passion plant indoors will find them easy to please in regards to temperature.
While developing, some individuals do best when placed in a room that averages about 29 degrees Celsius.
The main temperature takeaway is that it should not creep not lower than 15 degrees Celsius.
HUMIDITY
A humidity level of between 40 and 60% is ideal for a Purple Passion plant.
Being found in the tropical regions of China, these plants require a high level of humidity.
The most common ways of making sure that the humidity is high enough would be to put your Purple Passion plant near a humidifier or to simply mist the leaves on a regular basis.
Certain rooms also have natural humidity such as the bathroom.
FERTILIZER
Fertilize a Purple Passion plant every 2 weeks in spring and summer using a liquid fertilizer at half-strenght.
Using fertilizer can be a slippery road to embark on. Certain species can become poisoned from an abundance of too many nutrients.
The Purple Passion plant is among those that enjoy a fair amount.
Any standard fertilizer will do, just be sure to dilute it to about half of the prescribed dose. During the warmer months, apply the plant food every one to two weeks.
PROPAGATION
Propagation techniques for this tropical indoor plant include rooting in water and stem cuttings. Out of these methods, stem cutting is by far the easiest for most plant enthusiasts.
GROWTH
You can expect your Purple Passion plant to reach a maximum height of three feet. One thing to note is that they take on a vine-like characteristic in their growth, branching out and becoming quite leggy.
Full maturity usually happens around two to three years of age, meaning that you’ll have a long time admiring those leaves.
POTTING
Paramount to the health of this Asteraceae is how often you choose to repot it.
True, they don’t grow to be all that large, but fresh soil is essential for them to survive.
Since they only last for a few years, you won’t likely need to repot every other year.
Keep a careful watch over the roots, as they can become repotted. When you finally decide to transfer it to another living location, be extremely delicate. The roots of a Purple Passion plant are fragile.
PASSIONATELY WATERING YOUR PURPLE PLANT
You may recall us saying that these plants can be particular in regards to their watering needs. Their roots are super sensitive and will cause the plant to experience shock if given the wrong amount of water. To avoid root rot, read on.
PURPLE PASSION PLANT WATERING WAYS
Let’s start with how much water should be added at one given time. The soil should be moist, not oversaturated.
Supplying not enough water, although not ideal, is the lesser evils of the two when compared to too much moisture.
As for when and how often, this is a little more complicated. These flowering plants do require a good amount of water, but that depends on the season.
The warmer times of the year, namely spring and summer, should have more water than in the winter when the plant goes dormant. At this time, you can even allow the soil to dry out a bit.
The minimum requirement for a Purple Passion plant watering session should be once a week. Any less during the warmer months will result in poor growth. If you’re house experiences a lot of heat and lacks the necessary humidity, you may want to consider watering this plant twice a week.
ODD TIP FOR PURPLE PASSION PLANT WATERING
Although not conventional, we may have a solution for those who are concerned about their watering schedule. Keeping the soil moist without becoming too saturated is a tricky accomplishment.
If you’re apprehensive, you can use the ice cube trick.
This involves placing three or four ice cubes on the very top of the soil so that it melts over time.
I told you it was odd! Many indoor Purple Passion plants have benefitted from this trick.
PURPLE PASSION PLANT PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES
With such a beautiful plant at your disposal, wouldn’t you want to be able to display it forever? Well, you can.
Propagation involves methods that take a parent plant and create clones through regeneration. The best part is that you can decide which individuals to save and recreate.
Propagating a Purple Passion plant is not all that tricky. Even beginners can take a crack at it! We will show you the easiest method to get those pretty purple leaves. We suggest that you do this in the warmer months like spring or summer.
PROPAGATION THROUGH STEM CUTTINGS
- Locate a healthy individual that has vibrant leaves that you would like to copy.
- Using sharp scissors, make a two to three inch cut along the stem at the very top.
- Remove any leaves found on the stem aside from the top four.
- Place your stem into a small pot filled with fresh soil with the fresh cut down. Watering the soil before you add the stem cutting can help.
- Even if you chose to water the soil prior to placing the stem into it’s new container, water again so that the soil is evenly saturated.
- Set your newly potted clone in a spot that gets plenty of indirect, bright sunlight. It should never be placed in direct sunlight, as this will cause serious problems.
- Check back on your new Purple Passion plant in a few weeks to see if there is new growth.
PURPLE PASSION PLANT TRIMMING NEEDS
Being a member of Asteraceae, the Purple Passion plant is not technically a vine, but they do share some similar characteristics. The life cycle of these individuals shifts as they grow. Purple Passion plants will start out by growing in an upward motion, and then spread out just like vines do as it reaches maturity.
With vine-like attributes, trimming back the leggy leaves and stems can be advantageous to not only the plant’s well-being, but also to the look of your home.
Many botanists recommend pruning quite aggressively to promote the lower sections of the plant to grow to be more full. You can do this by taking sharp shears or scissors to the stems. Use the soil line to judge where these incisions should take place. Five inches above the soil should be the highest cut that you make. This will ultimately stop your plant from becoming lanky.
SIGNS THAT YOUR PURPLE PASSION PLANT IS UNHAPPY
The Purple Passion plant is quite “vocal” in their problems, showing visible signs of stress. In the event of something going terribly wrong, they can be brought back to life, but we hope to avoid this from happening in the first place. The following section is devoted to what issues you might see, and how to fix them.
TELLTALE SIGN #1: BROWN SPLOTCHES ON THE LEAVES
Cause: If you notice brown spots start to develop on the leaves, then likely your plant is getting too much water. This symptom is usually coupled with rotted, slimy roots, leaf curling, and the crown becoming brown.
Remedy: The moment you think that your plant has root rot, you’ll want to carefully remove it from the pot and rinse off the ends in the sink. Don’t repot as that will be too much. Instead, let the roots dry out naturally out on the counter.
TELLTALE SIGN #2: TIPS OF LEAVES TURN BROWN
Cause: Browning around the edges is named “scorch”, and can be a result of one of two problems. Your Purple Passion plant may be getting too much light directly, or the fertilizer that you use is not diluted properly.
Remedy: Ruling out which issue you’re dealing with is the first way to handle this problem. The easier of the two involves moving the plant to an area with less direct sunlight and seeing if the plant restores itself. Not working? Consider not adding any fertilizer for a few weeks, and then gradually add diluted food.
5 EASY STEPS TO A HEALTHY PURPLE PASSION PLANT
Need a refresher on the most important steps towards a thriving, vibrant Purple Passion plant? Well, we got them right here!
- Keep your Purple Passion plant in a room with medium amounts of indirect light and plenty of warmth.
- Be careful not to overwater this plant, adding enough to saturate the roots without causing root rot. Expect to water once a week depending on how much sunlight is available.
- Supply plenty of humidity through misting or a humidifier!
- Prune back the lower portion of the plant frequently in order to avoid having a leggy vine growing in your home.
- If you’d like to add a fertilizer for added growth, make sure that it’s diluted to about half of the recommended strength.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PURPLE PASSION PLANT
Is a Purple Passion plant poisonous?
Vibrant colours generally suggest that a plant or animal is dangerous, but not this one.
Are Purple Passion flowers edible?
Maypops, or Purple Passion plant flowers can actually be consumed. They have a similar flavour Guava, if you want to pluck them for yourself.
Can you root a Purple Passion plant in water?
Although not as easy as stem cuttings, you can root a Purple Passion plant in water.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.