How to Grow a Bridal Veil Plant, the Ultimate Carefree Houseplant
Enjoy this flowering foliage indoors year-round with these tips
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The bridal veil plant (Gibasis pellucida or Tradescantia geniculate) is a stunning, perennial-flowering houseplant that produces dark leaves and dainty white flowers. Because of the way its foliage cascades and produces white buds, it resembles a bridal veil, hence its name.
The bridal veil plant grows best in indirect sunlight, well-drained soil high in organic matter, and in temperatures between 55-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though bridal veil plants provide great natural decor for your home, be mindful that they are toxic to dogs and cats.
Bridal Veil Care Tips for Beginners
Where to Put It: Out of direct sunlight and in filtered sunlight.
How to Water It: Water once or twice a week when the top layer of soil is dry.
Soil Type: Well-drained soil high in organic matter.
Bridal Veil Care
Here are the main requirements for growing bridal veil plants:
Keep in indirect sunlight. Never sit bridal veil plants in direct sunlight.
The soil must be well-drained and containing organic matter.
Water only when the top two inches of soil feel dry.
Keep temperatures between 55-75 degree Fahrenheit.
Light
The bridal veil plant needs filtered, indirect sunlight in order to grow. When the bridal veil plant grows, the leaves and stems deepen to their green and purple colors. To get even deeper color, increase the light but avoid placing the plant in direct sunlight to keep the leaves from burning and turning brown.
Soil
Soil needs are simple with this houseplant. Just make sure it's well-drained and high in organic matter like coco coir, perlite, or vermiculite.
Water
Bridal veil plants only need to be watered once or twice a week or when the top inch to two inches of soil feels dry. Since root rot is a major concern for these plants, avoid overwatering by only watering when its necessary,
Temperature & Humidity
Since the bridal veil plant is more laid back than other plants, there's no special humidity level needed for proper growth. All that's needed are temperatures between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Although, remember to keep these plants away from an AC unit or cold drafts to keep your plant from dehydrating.
Fertilizer
Another reason we love bridal veil plants is that they don't require any fertilizer. As long you maintain high levels of organic matter in the soil with a monthly treatment, that's all the fertilizer you need.
Pruning
The best time to prune a bridal veil plant is during the spring and summer when it's actively growing, though you can prune in the dormant seasons of fall and winter. Trim the branch tips and remove dead wood on old branches all the way to the ground level.
Propagating Bridal Veil Plant
Bridal veil plants can be propagated during the early spring when the plant is starting to grow. Propagating your bridal veil plant is a beneficial way of increasing your indoor foliage at a faster growth rate and for exclusive purity among the variety.
The bridal veil plant can be propagated by cutting clippings off the original plant. Here's how:
What You'll Need: Sharp pruning shears and water.
Where to Cut: Cut two to four inches off a healthy stem of the original plant with your scissors and remove some leaves off the lower portion of the stem by pinching them off carefully.
Maintaining the Cutting: Place the pinched-off portion of the stem in water but keep the top portion non-submerged. Change the water out weekly until roots begin to form.
When to Plant the Cutting: Once you notice roots on your propagated stem, it's time to plant in potted well-drained soil with lots of organic matter.
Potting & Repotting Bridal Veil Plant
It's not recommended to repot your bridal veil plant unless they have doubled in size within a year. The other exception to repotting your plant is if you notice the roots outgrowing out of the drainage hole.
Repotting your bridal veil plant does not come with special instructions (meaning there's no particular pot size), but the only requirement is having at least one drainage hole.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
The biggest issues a bridal veil plant may see are errors on care ends, such as over or under-watering. However, on the pest side, spider mites, mealybugs, and the typical household insect has been known to climb along the stems. If you see any unwanted guests, you can remove them safely with insect soaps or a water mist.
There aren't many plant diseases bridal veils are susceptible to, but ensuring your plant doesn't develop root rot or a fungal issue. To keep these from happening, stick to a proper watering routine and make sure your plant gets enough airflow to circulate the moisture.
How to Get Bridal Veil Plant to Bloom
The best way to get your bridal veil plant to produce the dainty white flowers is keeping them in indirect sunlight. Though the growing time for a bridal veil plant is early spring, the flower do not start to appear until later in the season or in the early summer and lasts for about two weeks.
Bloom Months
Bridal veil plants typically bloom between February through September. This includes stems, leaves, and flowers though the white flowers bloom specifically from May into August.
How Long Does Bridal Veil Plant Bloom?
The bridal veil plant's flower bloom for about 10 days to two weeks. While there isn't any specific thing you can do to get the plant to bloom longer, remembering the light and soil needs and regular pruning will encourage better and fuller growth.
What Does Bridal Veil Plant's Flower Look & Smell Like?
The bridal veil plant is a trailing plant that has dark green leaves, purple stems, and white flowers. Once the flower blooms, the plant produces a sweet honey smell.
How to Encourage More Blooms
To encourage more blooms on your bridal veil plant, prune it after a healthy growth period in the spring. This pruning process provides new growth and more flowers.
Caring for Bridal Veil Plants After It Blooms
Caring for a bridal veil plant when its bloomed is the same as when you're trying to get it to grow. Since these plants are very sensitive to light, it's important to keep it out of direct sunlight so the flowers and leaves do not scorch when it's began to bloom.
Common Problems With Bridal Veil Plant
Bridal veil plants are a laid back plant for the most part and do not come with a lot of issues other than the occasional root rot. Read below to know how to identify this issue (and prevent it) with your own bridal veil plant.
Root Rot
Root rot in bridal veil plants is mainly caused by overwatering and a lack of oxygen. Without proper drainage and a whole lot of water, the plant isn't able to circulate air through or drain properly. This leaves the roots sitting in water and leads to excess moisture that creates the root rot.
The best way to prevent root rot from occurring in a bridal veil plant is to not overwater the plant. If you begin to notice dark roots, yellow-looking or splotchy leaves, this means root rot is present. The good news is that root rot can be fixed if all the roots are not mushy. If a few are mushy, you can fix the rot by snipping off the mushy roots and letting the remaining ones dry completely.
Once they're dried, repot the plant and stick to a healthy watering schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do bridal veils like sun or shade?
Bridal veil plants like indirect or filtered sunlight for a healthy growth. Direct sunlight burns the leaves, so it's best to keep this houseplant in the shadows.
Are bridal veil plants indoor or outdoor plants?
Bridal veil plants are an indoor flowering houseplant. They can be grown outdoors as long as they're in the right soil and out of direct sunlight.
Are bridal veils plants perennials?
Bridal veil plants are perennials, which means they only need to be planted once before lasting many years as long as they are properly maintained and pruned.
Read the original article on The Spruce.
