How to Trim a Purple Passion Plant
While the goal of most gardening involves growing plants that will produce flowers and then fruits, gardeners who grow a purple passion plant may not desire this outcome. The vivid orange blossoms of a purple passion plant are strikingly attractive; however, the blooms emit an odor that many people find offensive. Give the fuzzy purple foliage of this unusual houseplant regular trimming to keep it growing within the boundaries you desire, and your purple passion plant should stay healthy and attractive for years.
Maintain the size you desire for your purple passion plant by cutting off the vines when they become too long. When allowed to grow at will, the vines of a purple passion plant may grow as long as 8 feet in length. Cut these vines back so they are all 3 feet or shorter in length.
Check over the entire plant, looking for vines that appear a dull purple color instead of a bright purple color. If you find these dull vines, remove them at the base of the plant with the pruning shears because they indicate older vines that are losing their vitality.
- While the goal of most gardening involves growing plants that will produce flowers and then fruits, gardeners who grow a purple passion plant may not desire this outcome.
- Maintain the size you desire for your purple passion plant by cutting off the vines when they become too long.
Pinch back the tips of the untrimmed vines with your fingers, removing the newest growth back to the point of the first leaf node. This pinching will encourage lateral, bushy growth in the purple passion plant.
Provide a generous watering of the purple passion plant immediately after you finish pruning it, saturating the soil evenly.
Help, My Purple Passion Plant Is Wilting
A healthy purple passion can reach up to 2 feet high and spread 4 feet wide, depending on the growing conditions. Its bright purple foliage with a velvety texture is the focal point of the plant, but it also blooms small orange flowers in winter if grown in high light conditions. Supplying your purple passion plant with too much or too little water can be harmful and cause wilting. The soil should be evenly moist but not soggy. If the soil is extremely dry, immerse potted plants in a large bucket or tub of water until the water absorbs into the soil, then allow the pot to drain. Spider mites are extremely tiny and sometimes leave webbing on the plant. You can also wash them away with water.
- Pinch back the tips of the untrimmed vines with your fingers, removing the newest growth back to the point of the first leaf node.
- If the soil is extremely dry, immerse potted plants in a large bucket or tub of water until the water absorbs into the soil, then allow the pot to drain.
Tip
Some gardeners prefer to clip off the blossoms to avoid the smell. If you find the smell distasteful and want to remove the blossoms, clip them off just beneath the blossoms with the pruning shears.
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References
- Denver Plants: "Purple Passion" or "Purple Velvet Plant"
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gynura Aurantiaca
- Calyx Flowers: Purple Velvet Plant
- Kenyon College: Houseplant Troubleshooting Guide
- Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension: Houseplant Care
- The University of Maine: Sucking Insects That Affect Vegetable Plants
Tips
- Some gardeners prefer to clip off the blossoms to avoid the smell. If you find the smell distasteful and want to remove the blossoms, clip them off just beneath the blossoms with the pruning shears.
Writer Bio
Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon.
