When it comes to vigorous , colorful , and well-heeled - to - grow hanging houseplants , there are n’t many that can equate to Tradescantia zebrina ( make out more commonly as wandering Jew — and I ’ll touch on the history of that name below ) . Whether you ’re a houseplant beginner or a veteran soldier , most indoor gardener have own one of these potted plants at some point .
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Tradescantia zebrina and growing this arresting houseplant in your own home .
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About inch plants
Natural habitat
Tradescantia zebrina is a native of Central and South America , from Mexico down to Colombia , as well as the Caribbean . Here , it forms part of the undergrowth in lightly forested and often very damp orbit . It can make very dense , wide mat thanks to its creeping ontogenesis traffic pattern and ability to confound stem extremely quickly .
Unfortunately , its vigorous growth has also made Tradescantia zebrina an invasive plant in some regions . This includes Hawaii , Brazil , and Australia , where the specie easily takes grip in moist , forested field .
As a 2019 study carry out in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest notes , this is problematical due to the species choking out aboriginal plants .
Some of the above was make by regardless gardener allowing act of the flora to get into the wild , where they quickly root . If you ’d wish to develop dayflower like this one in your garden , please make certain to cast aside by rights of any fixings left after pruning !
This also applies to zebrina ’s democratic cousins , like Tradescantia fluminensis , T. pallida , and T. spathacea .
Description
It ’s not hard to see why Tradescantia zebrina gained popularity as a houseplant . stray spiderwort flora ( not to be confound withspider plants , another founding father - well-disposed species ) are low - maintenance and grow just about anywhere — they even justgrow in water !
Easy care and quick increment aside , spiderworts are also just in force - search plant life . The signal , oval leaves on thin , fleshy stems overlap more or less and are characterized by their zebra pattern in purple and silvery green . The leaf undersides are deep purple in color and the tiny , three - petaled flowers are undimmed pink .
Although this species is course a creeping plant , it ’s often grow indoors in hanging planter . As long as the plant is cater with enough light , the foliage will be very dense and brightly colour , forming a spectacular falls that can reach more than 3 feet in length .
Naming
What ’s in a name ? In the case of common houseplant , sometimes a lot .
Tradescantia zebrina is a classical houseplant ( I regain mention of it in a 1964 German book about houseplants , but it ’s probably been around longer than that ! ) and among most English speakers , it has long been known as wandering Jew . This is probably a acknowledgment to the “ wandering ” nature of the plant , as it does have a creeping development pattern .
The legend of the wandering Jew is hundreds of years old and is now commonly considered to be root in anti-Semitism . It describes a Judaic valet cursed to walk the planet until the Second Coming because he taunted Jesus on his room to the hybridizing .
Because of this , the plant life name has partially shine out of fashion and has been the source of much debate in the industrial plant human beings over the preceding few years .
Some plant enthusiast have embrace the alternate “ wandering dude , ” which I personally think is a enceinte selection .
“ column inch plant ” ( houseplant enthusiasts do n’t hold on whether this refers to the fact that it can grow an inch a day , or that you only need an inch of stem to propagate it ) , “ spiderwort , ” or “ wandering spiderwort ” are also popular alternative , though these are common figure for other Tradescantia varieties , such as Tradescantia Nanouk .
The best way to avert any confusion is to just stick to the scientific name .
Inch plant varieties
There are three race of inch industrial plant ( roll Jew ): Tradescantia zebrina var . zebrina , var . flocculosa , and var . mollipila . Unsurprisingly , after it having been a pop houseplant for so many geezerhood , nurseries have also managed to make a whole crowd of cultivar through selective cultivation .
A few of the popular Tradescantia zebrina cultivars you may amount across in your local works store let in , but are certainly not limited to :
Do keep in psyche that most of these cultivar are n’t patented and the amount of mislabeling and variation within a cultivar are both vast . Just raise your wind Jew in lower - light conditions can whole modify the way it looks , so it ’s not surprising that confusion sometimes reigns supreme .
fortuitously , care is the same across all cultivar , so your good bet is to just enjoy your plant even if you ’re not sure what Tradescantia kind you ’re deal with !
Where to buy roam Jew plants :
Caring for an inch plant
Light and temperature
It ’s authoritative to allow your Tradescantia zebrina with enough light . It ’s tempting to habituate plants to lighten up dark , shaded spots in your home , but that just does n’t work with this one : It loses its dense development pattern and beautiful colouration in low light source .
To prevent your vagabondage dandy plant from growing sparse and fleeceable , place it near a window that gets lustrous collateral light . Some full sun is n’t a trouble either , but do make certain you acclimate it bit by bit to a higher scant location .
Temperature - wise , this species is a peck hardier than many of the pinnace tropicals we like to grow in our home plate ( likeAnthurium andraeanumandBegonia maculata ) .
vagabondage fashion plate plants can do by a very wide kitchen range of temp , making it perfect for those chillier windowsills that your other plants may not apprize . Room temperature is idealistic , but anything between 50 ° degree Fahrenheit to 85 ° F will keep them felicitous .
Water and humidity
Your Tradescantia zebrina will appreciate lightly moist soil . you’re able to irrigate a bit more during the summer month , when the plant life is actively growing and needs a lot of moisture , and less during winter , when soil tends to take significantly longer to dry out .
If you ’re not sure whether it ’s time to water your wandering Jew industrial plant yet , you’re able to always turn to the age - old prank of pose a finger in the soil .
As for humidity , given its rather plastered natural home ground , cheat on Jew does revalue higher atmosphere moisture stratum . The great matter is , though , that it doesn’tdemandit . As long as you keep its land softly moist and the air travel is n’t extremely wry , your industrial plant should do well .
Soil and planting
Wandering Jew is not fussy about its potting mixture at all . I ’ve grown it in utter houseplant potting soil with no additive . If you do want to take things to the next layer , you could add someperliteand / or peat moss , although this is really not a must .
Most houseplant enthusiasts like to order their divagate Jew in a hang planter so they can enjoy the look of the leaves cascading down . This is not a must , though . you may also punctuate the species ’ creeping growth drug abuse by filling up a expectant , shallow plantation owner , grow it in a terrarium , or even keeping it in water on a semi - lasting basis .
Recommended products for wandering Jew plant care :
Fertilizing
Like most other houseplant , Tradescantia zebrina appreciates a bit of plant food during the produce season , which carry from leap to early gloaming . you may apply a normal houseplant fertilizer according to the instructions on the bottle .
Do n’t fertilise during the winter months unless your industrial plant is turn well . It does n’t need supernumerary food if it ’s motionless .
recommend fertilizers for wandering Jew plant :
Pruning
There ’s a good chance you ’ll have to prune your Tradescantia zebrina on a regular basis , because as I mentioned , this is a very speedy grower . It also roots very easily , so any trimming can be replant ! I ’ll key out how to do this in the subdivision on propagation below .
away from stem trimming , you could absent any dead leaves , which are bounce to pop up from clip to time in very thick plant like this species .
Dividing or repotting
column inch plant do n’t develop by producing plantlets at their base like many other houseplants ( such asspider plants ) do . Instead , in plants spread by rooting along the shank .
This mean that division is not really the way to go ; keep these plants manageable is usually done through pruning . you may work your flora by pinching off any long , leggy stems to produce a fuller appearance and ascertain its spread .
You ’ll notice that Tradescantia really does n’t mind being a fleck cramped in its plantation owner . Still , it ’s a undecomposed thought to provide your works with some refreshing grease every year or two by repot it .
Propagating an inch plant
If you ’ve never propagated a houseplant before , this is truly one of the good species to get with . It ’s known for rooting extremely quickly in both water and soil , meaning it ’s promiscuous to occupy endless planters to keep or give away .
All you require to propagate your Tradescantia zebrina is a pair of clean scissors . Here ’s how you do it :
Common questions about inch plant care
How do I make a wandering Jew plant bushy?
By their very nature , wandering Jew plants are not bushy . Their creep growth habit means they naturally grow leggy over time , peculiarly in containers .
However , you could mimic a fuller appearance by strategically pinching off any retentive , spindly stem to work the flora more . These stem can also be replanted near the female parent flora .
As the babe plants grow , they ’ll help fill in sparse areas and make the magic trick of a bushy wandering Jew .
How long do wandering Jew plants live?
Wandering Jew plant have a circumscribed lifespan of just a few years , and as a potted works , you ’ll notice your wandering Jew becoming very leggy after just two to three year .
Unlike other fast - growing plant that profit from pruning , cutting back a wandering Jew does n’t exercise well to renew its growth ; it simply controls the spread .
The best direction to keep your plant coming back year after year is to propagate newfangled plant life from stem cuttings , which — fortunately — is super easy with a high succeeder charge per unit .
Is wandering Jew perennial?
Wandering Jew ( Tradescantia zebrina ) is a trailing evergreen repeated in its aboriginal habitat ( USDA hardiness zone 9 through 12 ) . Where it ’s not winter hardy , range Jew is grown year - circle as a houseplant .
Are wandering Jew plants toxic to cats and dogs?
Wandering Jew is not weigh instantaneously toxic , but it can cause some skin irritation . If your pet gets into your plant , do n’t worry too much , although it can be a good idea to have a flavor in its oral fissure to ensure there ’s no excessive excrescence . Be sure to offer water . To prevent skin rash , it can be a good idea to wear baseball mitt if you want to handle your wandering Jew plant . This especially applies if you have sore skin .
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