If you ask The Southern Living Garden Book to point you toward a hardy plant with a stunning color payoff, it will send you straight to the purple heart plant. Also known as Tradescantia pallida ...

The so-called tradescantia pallida purple heart plant will definitely steal your heart, that's for sure. They don't call them purple heart plants for no reason. Its flowers are shaped like hearts ...

Liz Hornsby, Peachtree City A: I think you have purple heart, Tradescantia pallida. It’s a common ground cover in the South. The purple leaves and pink flowers are eye-catching in pots ...