Holly L. Scoggins

Fertilizer Concentration Affects Growth Response and Leaf Color of Tradescantia virginiana L.

ABSTRACT Little information is available on greenhouse or nursery production of the herbaceous perennial Tradescantia virginiana. Three cultivars of T. virginiana were grown with four nitrogen (N) rates of 15N-6.9P-14.1K (15-16-17) in an effort to find the range of nutrition for acceptable growth and flowering. Treatments were applied in 350 mL (11.8 oz.) aliquots when plants and pots weighed 70% to 80% of saturated weight. Nitrogen rates between 100 and 200 mg L− 1 resulted in marketable plants. ‘Blue Stone’ was the largest cultivar, in both height (cm) and dry weight (g). Nitrogen levels of 300 mg L− 1 stunted the growth of ‘Blue Stone,’ while ‘Red Cloud’ and ‘Angel Eyes’ were similar in size and the highest fertilizer rate did not reduce height. Foliage of ‘Angel Eyes’ had more green coloration, while the foliage colors of ‘Red Cloud’ and ‘Blue Stone’ were lower in hue angle (hue°) and thus had more yellowish-green coloration; ‘Angel Eyes’ also had the highest chroma at the experiments end and the most attractive foliage. *Currently graduate research assistant in the Biological Sciences Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.