I am a fan of this purple leaf, evergreen perennial plant. It is actually a species of the common native, spiderwort, of which there are several species. Secretia is certainly planted prolifically throughout the Southeastern US....at least the species pallida is, which is the purple leaf plant that looks like it might be a succulent, growing to about 2 feet tall (but can get taller). There are varieties of this plant that offer unique characteristics such as variegation, but I am of the opinion that those, in some instances, can be more difficult to grow and some are less hardy than the common Secretia that we see everywhere. Secretia is typically planted in a linear border type of arrangement. I thought I'd make this post to encourage folks to think about this plant differently; more of a plant for a mass grouping where it can be very impressive.
A couple of notes about Secretia:
*It can grow in full sunlight to medium shade.
*It prefers loamy, well drained soil....doesn't do so well in heavy clay.
*While it is considered an "evergreen perennial", the plant may not look all that happy during the Winter months where you can see a reduction in foliage and what leaves remain can appear to be less turgid and appear, "flat". My location is in central Alabama where Secretia is planted on every block. Our USDA zone rating is right on the fence at 7 and 8, just to give you an idea.
