Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. It is a perennial herbaceous species with a trailing habit. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea', commonly called purple heart or purple queen, is widely grown as a houseplant, outdoor container plant, or a garden groundcover. The species has been proven useful in indicating and removing air and soil pollutants and has also been used in food technology.
Taxonomy
T. pallida is a species of spiderwort in the family Commelinaceae. The species was described by Joseph Nelson Rose in 1911. He placed it in the genus Setcreasea. In 1975 David Hunt transferred the species to the genus Tradescantia. Hunt also treated Setcreasea purpurea as a cultivar of S. pallida. The latter names are still often used to refer to T. pallida. is commercially grown.
T. pallida is a popular groundcover plant in tropical and semi-tropical areas. In temperate climates it has traditionally been used as a houseplant but is increasingly being planted outdoors in containers or as a groundcover. It is also suitable for hanging baskets, border fronts, and rock gardens. As a houseplant, T. pallida has been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by filtering out volatile organic compounds, a class of common pollutants and respiratory irritants.
Because the plant contains anthocyanins, T. pallida leaves have been used as food colorants