Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura) Spotlight

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Today we have a plant spotlight for purple velvet plant. This is one of my all-time favorite house plants, definitely on my top 10 favorite list. I love house plants with velvety leaves, and purple velvet plant has velvety leaves. The plant is so incredibly gorgeous – these leaves are so soft you wouldn’t believe how soft the leaves are to the touch.

Also known as Purple Passion vine and velvet plant for short, this plant is botanically known as Gynura. It is native to the hot and humid Indonesian island of Java. I do have a plant care video on this plant which I will link for you. This is one of my spotlight videos where we take a quick look at the plant, and I tell you how wonderful the plant is and encourage you, if you have a chance to grow it, to find it, get it, and grow it.

Though it appears that these serrated leaves are purple, it turns out that they are actually green but are covered with a velvety soft purple fuzz that gives the plant its purple color and velvety softness. This is really interesting because when you look at this, they so look like they’re purple and green, but it’s actually the leaf that’s green and then you’ve got the purple fuzz on top. There is a variegated variety that has cream, purple, and green in the foliage, which isn’t this one, but I find this purple one much prettier to be honest with you.

Purple velvet plant is a trailing, vining plant that in its native habitat will eventually grow 2 feet tall and spread to 4 feet wide. In the indoor garden, though, the plant generally doesn’t get quite that big. It is ideal as a hanging basket plant or cascading from high locations like the top of a bookshelf, or you can train the plant up a small trellis. When the plant is young, it tends to start out upright and then eventually trails. Now you’ll see with this plant it’s starting to trail as some of the stems get longer. You can pinch them back – I do talk about that in my video as well if you want it shorter.

These plants are generally not long-lived, but they are easy to propagate. They usually live 3 to 5 years. You will know the plant is old when it creates a lilac bloom that then creates an orange flower. Though the flower is pretty, it’s best to cut it off before it ever opens because it smells pretty bad, and that’s something you usually don’t want in your indoor garden. Also, removing the buds will extend the plant’s life because generally, plants that are flowering means that they are nearing the end of their life. So you can extend the life by pruning them off.

Though this plant is really exotic-looking and so gorgeous, it’s great to know that it isn’t all that hard to grow. You can find out all about how to grow this beauty in my care video. As mentioned, if you get a chance to pick up one of these beauties, I would highly suggest it. It is a lot easier to grow than it looks and it’s a really nice addition to your indoor garden.

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Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura) FAQ

What is the Purple Velvet Plant?

The Purple Velvet Plant, also known as Purple Passion vine or Gynura, is a beautiful indoor plant native to Java, Indonesia. It’s known for its velvety, soft leaves that appear purple due to a fuzzy covering.

How big does the Purple Velvet Plant grow?

In its native habitat, it can grow up to 2 feet tall and spread 4 feet wide. Indoors, it typically doesn’t reach this size but still makes an excellent trailing or hanging plant.

How long does a Purple Velvet Plant live?

These plants usually live for 3 to 5 years, but they’re easy to propagate to maintain your collection.

What makes the Purple Velvet Plant’s leaves appear purple?

While the leaves are actually green, they’re covered with a soft purple fuzz that gives them their distinctive color and velvety texture.

How should I display my Purple Velvet Plant?

It’s ideal as a hanging basket plant, cascading from high locations like bookshelves, or trained up a small trellis.

Does the Purple Velvet Plant flower?

Yes, older plants may produce lilac blooms that turn into orange flowers. However, it’s best to remove these before they open due to their unpleasant smell.

Is the Purple Velvet Plant difficult to grow?

Despite its exotic appearance, the Purple Velvet Plant is relatively easy to grow and care for indoors.

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