Purple Queen, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Deep purple leaves on trailing stems make purple queen the easy color-contrast plant for beds, borders, walls and pots in Southwest Florida, where it grows fast in the heat. It tolerates sun and drought, and it roots where stems touch the soil. Our crew delivers 1 gallon plants, sets them at the right spacing, waters them in, and cleans up.
- Light:
- Full sun to part shade; best purple color in sun
- Water:
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt:
- Low to moderate
Purple Queen sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Purple Queen | 1 Gallon |
Purple Queen in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 8 to 18 in tall, spreading 2 to 3 ft
- Light
- Full sun to part shade; best purple color in sun
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt tolerance
- Low to moderate
- Cold tolerance
- Frost burns the tops, but the roots regrow in spring; coastal yards rarely see damage
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in on center
- Florida native
- No, native to Mexico
- Botanical name
- Tradescantia pallida
Where Purple Queen works in a SW Florida yard
Purple queen adds contrast to green beds: its deep purple leaves set off yellow and silver foliage and orange or pink flowers. Run it as a ribbon along a walk, spill it over a wall edge, or ring the base of palms where it gets sun.
Blue daze, copperleaf and perennial peanut are good neighbors, since they take the same sun and heat.
- Purple color contrast
- Raised beds and wall edges
- Containers and hanging baskets
- Edging along beds
How our crew plants it
Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart with the crown level with the soil, and water in. It handles sandy, poor ground but grows best in full sun. Pinch the tips after planting to branch the stems and fill gaps faster. Water daily for a couple of weeks, then taper; Lee and Collier allow extra watering for new plantings.
Care after planting
- Shear or pinch back leggy stems in spring and summer to keep it full and stop the center from thinning.
- Water deeply but not often once established; it handles dry spells but not standing water.
- Go easy on fertilizer, since too much makes it leggy; Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban nitrogen and phosphorus products from June 1 to September 30 anyway.
- After a frost, cut burned stems to the ground and let warm weather bring the new growth.
What to watch for
- The sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when trimming or dividing it.
- It roots wherever stems touch soil, so edge it or give it a hard border, or it will wander into lawn and neighboring beds.
Purple Queen questions we hear
Is purple queen the same as purple heart?+
In practice, yes. Purple queen is Tradescantia pallida, the plant also sold as purple heart, with deep purple leaves on trailing stems and small pink flowers. In Southwest Florida it grows fast, tolerates heat, and dies back in frost before returning from the roots.
Does purple queen need full sun to stay purple?+
Sun gives the deepest color. In heavy shade purple queen turns greener and leggier, but it handles part shade, including morning sun with afternoon shade. In full Southwest Florida sun it keeps rich purple color and blooms most of the year, though plants in pots need more water.
How far apart should I plant purple queen?+
Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart, center to center, and pinch the tips to fill in. A bed closes up in one warm season. Give it an edge or a hard border, because stems root where they touch the soil and the planting spreads beyond where you put it.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Purple Queen
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
Also worth a look
More like this
All ground covers & vines
The service
Landscape installation
Planning a whole yard
See it in 3D first
We deliver and plant across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs and about an hour around.