The original legend concerns a jew who taunted jesus on the way to the crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the second coming. The wandering jew plant also known as tradescantia zebrina, inchplant, or spiderwort is a beautiful plant suitable for both indoor and outdoor in many places growth. This wandering jew family even includes the purple queen, the tricolor boat. The exact nature of the wanderers indiscretion varies in different versions of the tale, as do aspects of his character. This particular wandering jew plant can be identified by its glossy, bright green leaves encircling a single stem. The species originates from the southeastern region of brazil. Its name calls to mind moses and the israelites in the sinai desert, wandering for 40 years. Water the plant directly around roots, avoiding the crown, as it can result in rot. Wandering jew is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a groundhugging habit of growth. Wandering jew tradescantia fluminensis, not to be confused with its attractive and more wellbehaved cousin of the same name, is a decorative groundcover native to subtropical argentina and brazil. My wandering jew plant is one of the most beautiful houseplants i own.
Why this houseplant is called the wandering jew jewish. An old legend tells of a jewish shoemaker, doomed by jesus to wander the earth for eternity. Keep reading for information about wandering jew and, specifically, how to get. How to care for a bridal veil hanging plant hunker.
Tiny boatshaped rosypurple flowers held in small terminal clusters appear sporadically throughout the year on plants grown in their native habitat, rarely. Just keep in mind that low light can fade the markings on leaves. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. The wandering jew plant is a common name for different species of plants that belong to the tradescantia genus.
It is most likely to appear in large patches in damp, shady parts of your garden or backyard. The wandering jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in europe in the th century. It invades quickly and shades out and strangles other plants. The plant prefers slightly moist soil, so maintain the. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through, although this american native is grown as a house plant in other areas. Wandering jew plants are identifiable by their heartshaped leaves, which, depending on the species will have distinct leaf colors, stripes, and sheens. Tradescantia has attractive zebrapatterned leaves, the upper surface showing purple new growth and green older growth parallel to the central axis.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not soaking wet at all times. Care should be taken, particularly in winter, that the plant doesnt become too dry. You should also fertilize the wandering jew plant every two weeks with a liquid 101010 fertilizer. How to care for a wandering jew plant your complete guide. Wandering jews like to be watered regularly, and wont tolerate their soil drying out too much. But the plants name actually refers to a more recent, and sinister, legend of. Causes of wandering jew poisoning in dogs the exact name of the irritant from the wandering jew plant is unknown.
Learn how to plant wandering jew cuttings from the pros at joshs frogs plants. A popular houseplant, tradescantia zebrina wandering jew is a trailing evergreen perennial with attractive, lanceshaped, green to purple leaves with two wide, silvery longitudinal stripes, while the lower leaf surface is solid magenta. Whether you grow the purple variety, the solid green variety or the variegated variety, you can easily propagate wandering jew plants by pruning cuttings. Also called inch plant, wandering jew tradescantia zebrina is a creeping evergreen plant grown for its colorful, striped leaves, which come in shades of purple, green and white.
Although they do tolerate and prefer moist conditions, the soil must drain properly to prevent root and stem rot from occurring. Wandering jew plant species, care, and growing guide green. During the spring and summer, make sure you feed the plant once a month. This name is used for several different plant species within the tradescantia genus. The bodys allergic response to the plant toxins may not be apparent for several days and may involve the whole body, even the areas that were not exposed to the plant. How to grow a wandering jew plant care guide houseplant 411. Wandering jews, also called spiderworts, are valued for the stripes of white, green, silver, and purple colors of their foliage. Wandering jew plant care requires bright, indirect light. Get outdoors for some landscaping or spruce up your garden. You can also prune off the long tendrils if you prefer to keep the plant compact and thick. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11 or you can grow it as a houseplant.
There are also variegated versions with bronze, pink, or. The wandering jew is not a single plant its the name given to a few different plants in the genus tradescantia when grown outdoors its considered invasive in many regions of the world, but those same growing characteristics make it perfect as an indoor vining plant. How to transplant a wandering jew home guides sf gate. Its an evergreen perennial plant that flowers allyearround and lasts for many years if the owner takes care of it correctly. To take care of your wandering jew plant, place it by an eastfacing window so that it gets a combination of direct and indirect sunlight. Wandering jew also known as tradiscantia and wandering willie is a trailing, soft, hairless, perennial groundcover weed.
Scientists just know it causes allergic dermatitis in dogs as well as other species when they walk through the plant. The fluminensis wandering jew plant has small, solid green leaves and white flowers while the palida variety has purple leaves with white, purple, or pink flowers. How to grow wandering jew plants spiderwort the spruce. It is also known as tradescantia zebrina, fluminensis, or pallida as a plant lover and a cat lover, its vital for me to know which of my indoor plants are potentially toxic or poisonous naturally, i wanted to know. From spring to fall, clusters of white, threepetaled flowers appear in the top of the stem. Wandering jew plant inch plant tradescantia zebrina zebrina. While it can make for a striking addition to your garden, it is extremely invasive and should be treated with caution. Wandering jew plants will tolerate being overwatered once and a while, but its best to make sure.
Learn how best to grow the wandering jew plant properly. Nearly natural green artificial plant variegated wandering jew hanging basket. Keep the soil slightly moist, but dont water directly into the crown as this will cause an unsightly rot in your wandering jew plant. How to care for and propagate your wandering jew plant.
Wandering jew plants can do well even with neglect, so you can let the soil just dry out between waterings. Feel free to prune wandering jew to keep the plant branching with a more compact habit. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be solid or. Wandering jew plants tolerate growing in a wide range of soils provided they drain well. After cleanup, a wandering jew here, tradescantia zebrina is quite presentable again. A week or so later, plant the cutting in a pot according to the planting guidelines above. Buy wandering jew plants for sale garden goods direct. This wandering jew species features white flowers, and its a trendy indoor plant around the world. Wandering jew plant species, care, and growing guide. Grow wandering jew plant in bright, indirect light or expose it to full sun, which it wont mind either.
It is a succulent, trailing herbaceous flowering plant with blooms of only three petals. An important part of growing wandering jew plants is pinching back the long, vining. Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as zebrina pendula, is a species of spiderwort more commonly known as an in. Snip off a piece of the plant the cutting should ideally be 34 inches long and place the cut end in water. Plants that irritate childrens hospital of philadelphia.
Therefore, if youre picky about plant neatness, youll need to go over your plant and remove the dead leaves every week or so. If you want to control the size of the plant and promote bushier growth, you can pinch off the tips of the stems. Wandering jew plant is not just one plant but an umbrella term for all plants that fall under the genus tradescantias. Most of the other plants cause chemical dermatitis. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the enter key is pressed. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage. So, the wandering jew tradescantia zebrina, formerly zebrina. The beautiful foliage of wandering jew plant tradescantia zebrina soil conditions for wandering jew plants. This genus includes at least 75 different herbaceous perennial species, including some regarded as noxious weeds, some as prized outdoor. Wandering jew plants, native to south america and mexico, are commonly used in the tabasco region of. Wandering jew plants include several species within the tradescantia genus. The gardening world has many examples where a single common name is slapped on more than one plant species, and such is the case with the houseplant we know as wandering jew.
A type of wandering jew, the plant produces leaves that are light green on top and purple underneath and tiny white flowers through the spring and summer. Cuttings are an easy, less expensive way to add new plants to your collection. Wandering jew plants are identifiable by their heartshaped leaves, which, depending on the species will have distinct leaf colors, stripes, and. Wandering jew plants are great house plants because they are relatively easy to care for. Also known as tahitian bridal veil, it is hardy in u. Plants like tradescantia pallida and tradescantia zebrina belong to the same category, wandering jew. In about a week or less, the cutting should produce roots. If the light is too dim, the leaf markings will fade. This plant works well inside in bright, indirect light or outside in anywhere from shade to part sun. Wandering jew plants have green, heartshaped leaves with purple stripes and a silvery sheen to them. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked, and water the soil instead of the top of the plant to avoid rot.
If your plant isnt receiving enough light, the markings on the leaves can dim. What i have noticed with mine is that when they are in full blaring sunliving in the state with the northernmost latitudes in the lower 48 yes i know minnesota has a postal depot slightly more northern but the bulk of washington state is far more north than that, my wandering jews turn ridiculously green in the winter time or in the summer if i have. Wandering jew aka tradiscantia and wandering willie is a ground cover weed. It has stunning deep purple and green leaves with silver stripes that grow quite densely, but there are different varieties. Live wandering jew purple plant fit 4 pot easy to grow house plant. Shop undefined 1quart wandering jew in plastic pot l01293 in the house plants department at lowe. You can even propagate tradescantia without much trouble at all, it will root. Wandering jew plant care requires bright indirect light. Wandering jews will tolerate heavy pruning, and its best to make pruning a part of your regular wandering jew plant care schedule. First of all, i would not say this is a starter plant, nor a plant for those who like to put a plant on a shelf and sort of forget about it. The common name is shared with closely related varieties. Purple wandering jew 6 hanging pot easy to grow house plant inch plant brand. Normally grown as houseplants, they are extremely easy to grow.
All varieties of wandering jew plant care are similar, and quite easy. The wandering jew, inch plant or tradescantia zebrina is a houseplant that can be grown in a hanging basket to show off its long beautiful trailing vines or kept. There are around 75 different types of plants in tradescantia genus and some are called inch plants, spiderwort, striped wandering jew, boat lily, purple queen, or flowering inch plant. The purple foliage helps wandering jew match with pink, yellow, orange, green and purple flowers or foliage. Wandering jew, also called spiderworts, are valued for the stripes of white, green, silver, and purple colors of their foliage. Succulent, soft, creeping stems root at nodes where they touch the soil. Planting instructions for a wandering jew home guides. Wandering jew can easily be propagated by cuttings. Water the plant thoroughly, and allow the water to drain from the bottom of the pot. Wandering jew is the common name of a few different species.
To keep the plant always looking its best, you can trim off any broken, dead or damaged stems and leaves throughout the year. Now on to how to best care for your indoor wandering jew plant. The wandering jew is famous for the speed at which it produces dead leaves. With its colorful foliage and reputation for being hard to kill, wandering jew plants tradescantia zebrina are an ideal houseplant. When using pruning tools to trim your wandering jew. See more ideas about wandering jew, planting flowers and house plants. Wandering jew plant how to care for an indoor tradescantia.