Are you ready to take your houseplant game to the next level? If you’re ready to graduate from impossible-to-kill philodendrons, consider the Callisia repens Bianca, a cute, bushy, and diminutive succulent.
Often placed in hanging baskets or on a ledge where their little tendrils may roam over the edge, the Callisia plant does require some specific care to thrive. However, this colorful and friendly plant isn’t impossibly difficult to grow.
Read on to learn about the ideal combination of sunlight, fertilizer, and water for your Callisia repens Bianca.
Callisia Repens Bianca Quick Care Guide
| Scientific Name | Callisia repens |
| Common Name(s) | Bianca |
| Family | Commelinaceae |
| Size | Six inches tall, two feet wide |
| Light | Indirect sun to partial shade |
| Soil | Moist and fast draining |
| Water | Soak and allow to dry out between waterings |
| Temperature | Cannot tolerate frost, enjoys 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Humidity | Thrives in humidity |
| Fertilizer | Every two months during the growing season |
| Propagation | Cutting with at least five leaves suspended in water or immediately planted |
| Pests and Diseases | Mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, scale, thrips, and whiteflies |
| Toxicity | Toxic to humans and pets when ingested; sap may cause contact dermatitis |
The Callisia repens Bianca doesn’t require difficult or complex care but needs proper placement and watering in your home. Place your Callisia near a bright window but not where it will receive direct sunlight.
Water the plant generously and allow the soil to dry before giving it another good soak. Fertilize your Bianca every few months during the growing season, from March to October.
All About Caring for the Callisia Repens Bianca
The Bianca (Callisia repens) is a vining houseplant that creates pink variegated leaves in a compact, attractive package. The pink variegated leaves distinguish it from other varieties that grow green leaves all over or pink leaves mixed with green leaves.
The Callisia repens Bianca is a succulent and was first seen in China, Cuba, and South Africa. Fans of the plant often refer to it as cute or adorable, owing to its delicate pink leaves and little bushy presentation.
You may see the plant referred to simply as a “Callisia.” Still, there are a few varieties of Callisia repens, each with slightly different leaves. The Bianca variety is the one with pink variegated leaves.
Your Callisia will love living in a hanging basket, and its trailing vines will look beautiful, especially when you ensure it gets the right amount of light and water.
Callisia Repens Bianca Care
Light
The Callisia repens Bianca enjoys bright indirect light. The plant grows well if hung in a basket near a sunny window as long as the sun doesn’t shine directly on it. This plant is a succulent, but it’s not a sun-loving plant like sedum or echeveria.
A healthy spot for your Bianca is about six feet from a sunny window on the brightest side of your home. That usually means a south-facing window in the winter or any window in the summer. If you deny your Callisia enough light, you may find it remains stunted with few leaves.
Water
Callisia repens Bianca needs to dry out between each visit with the watering can, but it does like a good drenching on watering day. If you often forget to water your plants, you’ll want to create a reminder on your phone or somewhere noticeable so your Bianca doesn’t get too thirsty.
On that same note, you mustn’t water the plant too often, either. The soil does need to dry thoroughly before you give it another drenching. If you’re unsure whether the soil looks dry, stick a finger in the soil to check.
Soil
The Callisia repens Bianca needs well-draining soil so that it can dry out between each watering. Adding perlite or peat moss to any standard potting soil mix can help with drainage. However, the plant is relatively easy to grow and is not too particular about its soil. Just ensure the soil doesn’t remain damp and soggy for days.
If you’re worried about remembering to water your Bianca, you can reduce the amount of perlite or peat moss you add to the soil mixture. The plant will dry out more slowly, giving you some breathing room to remember to water the plant.
Fertilizer
Callisia repens Bianca enjoys a trim figure and doesn’t need frequent feedings. However, the Bianca variety does need fertilizer every so often.
A plant you just bought at a garden center won’t need fertilizer for the first year. However, you’ll want to start monthly feedings between March and October when the plant is actively growing.
Look for a fertilizer with an 8-8-8 NPK ratio. That abbreviation stands for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and the 8s refer to the percentage of each ingredient in the mixture. It’s easy to figure this out, as you can just look on the label of any fertilizer bottle or bag to find the ratio.
Propagation
Callisia repens Bianca responds well to cuttings for propagation, but you can also grow them from seeds or take offsets—pups—from the plant to propagate. After taking a cutting from the plant, you may place it in a cup of water and wait for roots to appear before placing it in a small pot with soil.
Alternatively, you can skip the cup of water phase, wait a few days for the cutting to scab over, and then place it in a small pot with soil. Leave it in the small pot until it’s well established before repotting it in a larger, permanent container.
Troubleshooting
Improper Watering Schedule
Once you find the sweet spot for your Bianca, the plant should grow happily for several years. However, the plants aren’t immune to problems, and you may encounter issues with browning leaves or lack of growth.
One of the most common reasons your Callisia repens Bianca may start to die is improper watering. Too much or too little water may result in leaves that whither and die and a lack of new growth.
If you notice several leaves starting to turn brown, take a look at the soil. Is it quite damp? Is it so dry it’s starting to crack open?
Modifying your watering schedule may help you bring the plant back from the brink. If you’re confident you’re not watering the plant too frequently or infrequently, you may need to move it to a wetter or drier area of your home to ensure the soil dries out in a reasonable timeframe.
Too Much—or Not Enough—Sunlight
Too much or too little sunlight is the other cause of a dying Bianca plant. Giving your Bianca just a few minutes of direct sunlight each day is a great way to ensure the leaves stay pink, but too much sun may kill the plant.
The leaves may start to turn brown or fall off when the plant receives too much sun. However, the same may happen when the plant doesn’t get enough light. A Callisia might not completely die in a very dimly lit area. Still, it certainly won’t grow more than necessary to survive.
More leaves mean a need for more sunlight, so the plant will stop growing new leaves to survive the low light.
Related: Callisia Repens Pink Panther Care
