Thinking of growing a house plant as a beginner? Think wandering Jew, a plant known for its easy planting and maintenance. Its beautiful silver, green and magenta foliage adds colour and richness to your home.
Ironically, this plant is usually considered invasive outdoors in many parts of the world as the plant tends to “wander” all over the place. Again, it can be toxic to pets, so it is best to keep them away from your furry friends.
Read on to learn more about the Wandering Jew and how to care for your houseplant.
What is Wandering Jew?
Wandering Jew is the controversial name for Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula. It is a species of creeping plant in the Tradescantia genus. Other common names include Silver Inch Plant and wandering dude (an alternative name for Wandering Jew).
This creeper is loved across the globe for its bright purple foliage. When grown indoors, the wandering Jew can be grown all year round in home gardens. It is also the ideal plant for those with no real experience in gardening.
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Wandering Jew plant
The Wandering Jew plant is native to tropical and temperate climates in countries like Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. It is usually grown as a houseplant.
Contrary to popular belief, Wandering Jew is not a single plant, but a common name for a variety of Tradescantia species. The plant is aptly named the Wandering Jew because it can grow invasively to cover the environment if left on its own. The Tradescantia genus contains 75 herbaceous perennials.
Below are some of the common types:
Tradescantia Fluminensis
The Tradescantia Fluminensis is native to South America. It is also known as known as small-leaf spiderwort, river spiderwort, inch plant, speedy Henry, wandering willie, and wandering trad. Known for its fleshy ovate leaves with white and green variegations attached to fleshy stems, this plant has triangular white flowers with three petals.
Tradescantia Zebrina
This species of Wandering Jew has attractive zebra-patterned leaves, with purplish-green leaves that have a silver edge. It is one of the easiest and hardest varieties of Wandering Jew to grow in your household.
Tradescantia Pallida
Popularly known as Purple Heart, this species of spiderwort is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. It is renowned for its deep purple foliage and light purplish-pink flower. The Purple Heart also makes an amazing ground cover and hanging plant.
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Tradescantia Sillamontana
The Tradescantia Sillamontana has beautiful symmetry with leaves growing on thick stems covered in white fuzzy hair. It produces magenta flowers throughout the season.
Tradescantia Spathacea
Also known as oyster plant, boatlily or ‘Moses-in-the-cradle’, this is a herb in the Commelinaceae family. This species of Wandering Jew has dark green leaves with purple undersides growing in spiral patterns.
Wandering Jew care
Propagating Wandering Jew
As previously stated, the Wandering Jew is easy to plant and maintain. All you need to do is take some cuttings and plant in a moist potting mix or propagate in water. Place the pot in a spot away from direct sunlight.
Light
The Wandering Jew does not do well under direct sunlight. However, it tends to get gangly and unattractive if it does not get sufficient sunlight. Therefore, shift your plant to an area with brighter light conditions. Balconies and terraces are great spots to grow your plant.
Watering
You should water your Wandering Jew plant only when the soil feels dry. This means watering your plant once a week. To know if it needs water, poke your finger in the soil. If the soil clings to your finger, wait a few more days and recheck.
Too much water can make the soil too soggy and your plant too mushy, which can make it die. Like most houseplants, it is better to err on the side of too dry than too wet.
If you must water, do so in batches. Do a little watering and wait until it soaks up in the soil before repeating the process until the watering is enough.
Soil
The Wandering Jew is not particularly picky about the soil it grows on. It can thrive in a well-draining potty mix. The most important thing is that the top soil should be dry in between watering and the soil should be aerated once in a while.
Fertiliser
You can feed this plant with any general-purpose houseplant fertiliser. However, it is not entirely necessary as the wandering Jew is not a heavy feeder.
Pruning
You need to prune your Wandering Jew plant as it tends to ‘wander’ all over the place. Also, you need to prune to remove dead foliage. Therefore, use sharp clean pruning shears or scissors to prune away stems at the required length from time to time.
Toxicity
According to the ASPCA, the Wandering Jew plant is toxic to pets and may cause dermatitis, or irritation of the lips and mouth. Like all houseplants, it may cause vomiting or GI distress if eaten in large quantities. So, keep your pets from nibbling them.
In addition, the Wandering Jew sap may cause skin irritation in some people. Wear a glove when you are handling a cutting if you have sensitive skin.
Conclusion
Although the Wandering Jew is mostly grown as a houseplant, it can also be grown outdoors. Outdoors in the sunlight, it may develop tiny pinkish flowers though it rarely flowers indoors.
You can also pair it with tall plants such as hibiscus, canna, elephant ears or other tall, upright tropicals. Remember to trim it to avoid invasive growth in your environment. In case of any infestation, prune away the infested parts.
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