水竹草屬多年生草本，是蚌蘭的小型化品種。肉質莖粗壯。多肉質葉互生二列或螺旋狀排列，長披針形，葉端銳尖，基部抱莖；葉面綠色；葉背紫紅，有軟絨毛。花數枚簇生，包藏於兩片紫色蚌殼狀苞片內；花瓣3枚，白色。蒴果球形。

A perennial herb in the genus Tradescantia. This is a miniaturized cultivar of boat lily. Stem fleshy and thick. Fleshy leaves alternate in two rows or spirally arranged, long lanceolate, apex acute, and leaf base amplexicaul; leaf green above, purplish red and fluffy below. A few flowers clustered and enclosed in two purple clamshell-like bracts; petals 3 and white. Capsule spherical.

生性強健，耐旱性強。對光線適應性廣，在強光下或蔭蔽處均能成長。喜溫暖至高溫。對土壤要求不嚴，但以肥沃之砂質壤土且排水良好者為佳。可用播種、分株或扦插繁殖。

The robust grower is highly drought-tolerant and not picky on intensity of sunlight, it can grow under direct sun or shades. A lover of warm to high temperature. It’s not picky on the soil, but prefers fertile sandy loam with good drainage. Propagated by seeds, ramets or cuttings.

可作庭園地被植物、小品盆栽、組合盆栽。葉可入藥。

It can be planted in gardens as groundcover, in a small pot or a mixed planter. The leaves have medicinal uses.