Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion', the best-known velvet plant

Have you just brought home a Velvet plant? It's probably Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion'. With its purple and crimson leaves, this cultivar is the most commonly sold variety.

How to recognize Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion'?

Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion' is a perennial with a compact, drooping habit. Its creeping stems can measure up to a metre in length, but do not exceed 30 centimetres in height.

The stems become sarmentose as they age. They are covered with a fine purple down, like the rest of the plant.

Gynura aurantiaca is cultivated for its velvety, colorful foliage. The metallic-green leaf blades are covered with hairs. Purple on the upper surface, they are almost crimson on the underside. The leaves are smaller and more indented than those of the standard variety. Oval and strongly lobed, they measure between ten and twelve centimetres and have a deeply toothed margin.

The plant flowers in winter. Its yellow or orange flower heads resemble dandelions. They arise from purple buds at the top of a pubescent stem. They give off a pronounced scent that is far from universally appreciated.

Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion' is toxic. Keep your specimen out of the reach of small children and pets.

Our maintenance tips

Over time gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion loses its color and its stems wither. To keep your plant compact and bright, cut your specimen and pinch off the ends of its branches.

Watering

To find out if your plant is thirsty, stick your finger in the soil. When the surface is dry (about three centimetres), then you need to water your Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion'. Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion like moisture, but not stagnant water. Make sure that the potting soil remains moist, but that the rootlets are not drowned.

If you can, use non-calcareous water such as rainwater or filtered water.

Also make sure that water doesn't stagnate in the saucer or planter.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion' to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Pour a bed of clay balls or gravel into a pierced pot.

Add a layer of potting soil for green plants. Plant your Gynura 'Purple Passion in the center and fill the pot with substrate. Tamp the soil to remove air bubbles.

Fertilization

You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.

Fertilize your Gynura 'Purple Passion with a green plant fertilizer to support growth. Remember to halve the dose prescribed by the manufacturer.

Prune

The flower smells bad and is exhausting the plant. Cut off the flowering stem as soon as it appears to prevent further flowering. You can use clean secateurs or pinch the stem with your fingers.

Pinch

Pinch your Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion' during its growing season.

To keep your Gynura aurantiaca 'Purple Passion' compact, pinch a bud. You'll create new branches.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Using your pre-cleaned scissors, remove a ten- to fifteen-centimeter stem (about three nodes). Remove the leaf at the base of your cutting.

Pour a mixture of potting soil and sand into a pot whose hole has been plugged with a pebble. Push half the stem of your cutting into the center without watering.

Place the pot in a mini greenhouse; if you don't have one, you can cover the plant with a translucent bag or a cut bottle. Place your graft in a bright spot, without direct sunlight.

Every day, aerate for a few minutes to drain off condensation and mist.

Diseases / Threats

Aphids

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Asteraceae - Asteraceae
Type	Gynure - Gynura
Species	Velvet plant - Gynura aurantiaca
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade
Substrats	Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting method	In pots
Categories	Climber Interior Herbaceous Flowery Hanging plants
Tags	Flowery Fritillary Toxic
Origin	Southeast Asia
Hardiness (USDA)	10b
Leaf color
Flower colors
Fruit color