Purple Passion or Gynura aurantiaca is a curious plant with deep green ruffled leaves, thickly bordered with bright purple.
This is a low-maintenance plant that will look good in any room, and once the plant is mature, it may even flower for you, too.
Not sure if this velvety purple plant is for you, or if your home is right for the plant? Here’s everything you should know, from its care requirements, when to feed it, and how to propagate it.
At A Glance: What You Should Know About Purple Passion Plant
While Gynura aurantiaca is grown across the world as a beautiful houseplant, it hails from Java and into Sumatera, and the native conditions mean that it is well-suited to life indoors.
The Purple Passion plant is not long-lived and will last on average for about 3 to 5 years in total.
This plant is classed as monocarpic, which means that it will flower once in its lifetime once the plant is mature, and fade away soon after.
If you’re after an heirloom plant, you would be better off with a Jade Tree or a Holiday Cactus, instead.
But that’s not to say that you can’t make new plants out of your current plant, and this is something we’ll cover a little later on.
Where To Put Gynura Aurantiaca
Sunlight
Give your Purple Passion plant the brightest and warmest windowsill you have, that doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight.
Northern-facing windows would be fine, but Eastern-facing windows are better, as they are brighter but won’t scorch the plant.
Just remember that the brighter the light, the more often you’ll have to check the plant to see if it needs watering.
Should You Put Purple Passion In A Humid Room?
If you live in a very hot and dry climate, it’s worth putting Purple Passion in a more humid room such as a kitchen or bathroom to help stop the plant from drying out too much and to prevent any leaf tips from going brown.
Otherwise, it will do fine in average humidity levels.
Temperature Needs
Purple Passion plants will do well in rooms with stable temperatures between 57°F and 75°F (or 15°C and 24°C).
Keep this plant out of drafts and heat sources.
Watering And Feeding Gynura Aurantiaca Purple Passion
Let the top third of the compost dry out in between watering. This will prevent any issues with over watering while keeping the plant hydrated.
It’s a good idea to provide your plant with a balanced houseplant feed every fourth watering or so during the growing season, but don’t feed it when the soil is too dry, as this can burn the roots.
Ideal Compost For Gynura Aurantiaca
A standard houseplant compost will give Purple Passion everything it needs to thrive.
How To Propagate Purple Passion
You can grow this plant from seed if you like, but the best way to propagate Purple Passion is to take some stem tip cuttings in spring.
Make sure that each cutting has at least two nodes, remove any leaves that would sit below the water line, and put the cuttings into tepid water, somewhere bright and warm, avoiding direct sunlight.
Change the water weekly to keep it fresh, and you’ll see roots grow within a few weeks.
Is Purple Passion Safe For Homes With Pets?
The Purple Passion plant, Gynura aurantiaca is considered safe for homes with pets.
Purple Passion Plant: Problems To Watch Out For
Young Leaves Are All Green
If the young leaves on your Purple Passion plant are all green with no hint of purple, your plant isn’t getting the light it needs to thrive.
The plant will produce more chlorophyll to generate more energy from the light it can get, so moving it to a brighter spot will result in more purple leaves.
Yellowing Leaves
If the leaves are going yellow very quickly, this can mean that the plant is either too dry or too wet. There are other causes, but these are the most common two.
If you see more than one or two yellow leaves at a time, check the soil. Repot the plant if it is too wet, or give it a good watering if it is too dry.
What To Do If All The Leaves Have Fallen Off
This usually happens when the plant has been too dry for too long.
If the stem of the plant is still healthy, prune it back and put it in a clear plastic bag to lock in humidity, and keep the soil damp, and you should see new growth within a few weeks.
Final Thoughts
Gynura aurantiaca is a fabulous plant that provides plenty of colors and is easy to grow, but it’s a good idea to keep taking cuttings of this plant as it doesn’t live long.
