Tradescantia Nanouk Care: Stop the Brown Spots

Overview

Developed in the Netherlands in 2012 specifically for the houseplant market, the Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk' (often sold as Fantasy Venice) was engineered to be the ultimate colorful trailing plant. Compared to the classic Zebrina (Inch Plant), the Nanouk has much thicker, fleshier stems and larger, fuzzier leaves.

Its coloration is truly spectacular: the tops of the leaves are heavily striped with pale green, white, and intense bubblegum pink, while the undersides glow a vibrant magenta-purple. It grows at an astonishing speed, quickly cascading over the sides of a hanging basket. However, while it was bred to be hardy, it has one major flaw: it absolutely despises getting its leaves wet. Mastering the Nanouk requires changing how you water and learning to be completely ruthless with a pair of scissors.

The Brown Spot Epidemic: Bottom Watering

The single most common complaint about the Nanouk is that the beautiful pink leaves suddenly develop ugly, crispy brown spots that eventually rot the entire leaf.

Because the leaves are slightly fuzzy and grow tightly clustered around the stem, water gets trapped between them. If water sits on the leaves of a Nanouk, it causes immediate fungal rot (brown spots). You cannot water this plant from the top with a watering can. You must bottom-water it. Fill a bowl with a few inches of water, set the pot in the bowl, and let the soil soak the water up from the bottom drainage holes through capillary action. This keeps the delicate leaves perfectly dry.

Light Requirements: Keeping the Pink

Light is the key to maintaining the Nanouk's brilliant pink and purple stripes. If you place the plant in a dark corner, it will rapidly stretch its vines out (etiolation), leaving huge, ugly bare gaps between the leaves. Furthermore, it will completely stop producing pink pigment, turning a dull, muddy green in order to survive the low light.

You must place the plant in bright, indirect light. An east-facing or south-facing window is perfect. A few hours of gentle, direct morning sun will actually intensify the pink coloring, but avoid blazing, hot afternoon sun, which will bleach the leaves.

Watering the Soil

The thick stems of the Nanouk store a significant amount of water, making it surprisingly drought-tolerant. You must allow the top 2 inches of the potting soil to dry out completely before you bottom-water it. If you keep the soil constantly wet, the thick, fleshy stems will turn black and mushy at the soil line, and the entire vine will collapse from rot.

Soil and Potting

Because stem rot is such a major issue, standard potting soil holds water for far too long. You must use a fast-draining mix. Amend high-quality indoor potting soil with at least 30% to 40% perlite to ensure excellent drainage and oxygenation for the roots.

The Secret to a Bushy Plant: Ruthless Pruning

Tradescantias are not meant to live forever as a single, long vine. In nature, they crawl across the ground, abandoning their oldest, back leaves to push new growth forward. Indoors in a hanging basket, this results in a plant with long, stringy vines that are completely bald at the top of the pot.

To fix this, you must be ruthless. Every few weeks, take scissors and snip the tips off the longest vines. Take those cut tips, poke a hole in the bare soil at the top of the pot, and stick the cutting right in. It will root in a matter of days. This continuous "chop and prop" cycle is the only way to keep a Tradescantia Nanouk looking full, bushy, and beautiful.

Toxicity Warning

The thick stems of the Nanouk are filled with a clear sap. This sap is toxic to cats and dogs. It is a severe skin irritant; if a dog brushes against a broken stem, it will often develop an intense, blistering rash (contact dermatitis). If chewed, it causes painful stomach upset, drooling, and vomiting. Keep the trailing vines out of reach.