wandering jew purple flower

Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia zebrina): Types, How to Grow and Care

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Plants with trailing and creeping habits are some of the best plants to keep. They are fast-growing and make thick carpet of groundcovers for gardens in no time and they also create striking hanging indoor plants. 

Among the all-time best trailers to grow is the wandering jew. Easy to maintain and drapes beautifully, this colored plant will make any space more inviting and interesting.

Medicinal Properties

Propagation and maintenance, what is a wandering jew plant.

Tradescantia is one of the 37 genera under the plant family Commelinaceae (1). Some of its 75 species are commonly called ‘wandering jew’ (also known as inch plant), a name they adapted due to their long lifespan like the Jewish character from a Christian folklore.

Another name for this group of herbaceous perennial plants is ‘spiderwort’ after the spiderweb-like sap they produce when the stem breaks. They are native to Canada, Mexico, and Argentina and have been naturalized in other parts of the world (2).

The most common tradescantia grown ornamentally is the T. zebrina also previously called Zebrina pendula . It has long fleshy stems where the wandering jew plant leaves and roots appear. The lance-like leaves are a mixture of green and purple with silver stripes on the upper side and deep purple under (3). The plant grows close to the ground and can only reach 20 to 30 cm high.

Does Tradescantia Zebrina Flower?

The wandering jew is considered an ornamental plant primarily because of its showy colorful foliage but the plant does produce pink flowers.

Small three-petaled pinkish purple flowers appear sporadically throughout the year (4). The resulting fruit is a capsule containing tiny brown seeds.

Is it Toxic to Pets?

Spiderworts are normally harmless plants but they contain toxic properties that may cause mild gastric problems and dermatitis to pets. Although they don’t lead to anything serious, it will be safe to keep the plants out of reach of pets and to keep the hands protected when dealing with the sap of the plant.

Because of the plant’s hardiness and adaptability to different environments, the wandering jew establishes well, in fact so well that it can be considered an invasive species. In countries like Australia, the plant has the capacity to invade natural vegetation. Although growing them is not prohibited, everyone is obliged to keep the plant’s growth under control (5).

Studies showed that Tradescantia has significant effects as an anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial medicinal plant. In traditional Chinese medicine, the wandering jew plant is highly valued as treatment for kidney failure.

The extract from the whole plant is cooked with dates, ginger, and water and consumed by patients. The plant is also known to treat high blood pressure, cough, urinary tract infection and tuberculosis (1).

How to Grow and Care for a Tradescantia

Here’s how to care for a wandering jew plant, one of the easy house plants to own.

Light and Water

In the wild, the wandering jew plant thrives without assistance but under the right conditions. It likes filtered sun so indoor fluorescent light is enough. Placing them by the window and turning the plant every two weeks will keep the leaves colorful and the growth even on all sides (3).

The plant spreads easily in damp areas that’s why it naturally grows along riverbanks and roadsides. When potted, the soil should be kept moist but well-drained. Saturated soil often causes root rot.

Fertilize your Tradescantia plant once a month during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength. Avoid fertilizing in fall and winter when the plant is dormant. Over-fertilizing can lead to fertilizer burn and damage the plant, so follow the instructions on the fertilizer package carefully.

Temperature and Humidity

Spiderworts like it warm but there should be enough air circulation or else the leaves will sag. During the heat of the summer, taking the plant outside under shade will provide the necessary cool to the plant.

Mist the hanging plant early in the morning and late in the afternoon. If the plant is on a table, place a glass of water beneath the leaves or put the pot on a wet pebble tray. This will humidify the immediate vicinity of the plant aiding in its photosynthesis and transpiration processes.

Pests and Diseases

The most common living enemies of the wandering jew are aphids, mealybugs, scale, white flies, and spider mites. Manual removal at the onset of infestation is effective but they should be closely monitored as serious attack may lead to the plant’s death. If left unnoticed and the infestation has become severe, get rid of the plant by burning to avoid contamination.

Since the creeping inch plant is mainly soft almost like a succulent, soggy soil and too wet conditions lead to root and stem rot (4). As long as the plant is receiving just enough moisture, this disease will be avoided.

Propagating wandering jew plants is very easy. They can grow from seeds but will take years to establish so the more convenient stem cutting is best. The trailing or creeping stems form nodules where the roots will eventually grow as it comes in contact with the potting soil (2). When the hanging plant has longer trails than intended, it can be trimmed and the resulting stem cuttings can be rooted to form new plants.

There will be times that the potted wandering jew will become leggy, especially if it’s been receiving more shade. To promote a bushier growth pinch back by literally pinching the tip of the plant where the new growth occurs (4). This practice allows the formation of lateral stems.

In two or three years, these hardy plants may become pot bound, with the roots taking up most of the space in the pot. Repot in a larger container with a good mixture of soil, coarse sand, and compost to replenish the nutrients and provide room for the roots to breathe. Additionally, fertilize once every two months by foliar application just to improve plant vigor.

Common Varieties of Wandering Jew

The oldest and most common indoor wandering jew, this species has leaves alternating, often overlapping when young, purple leaves with silvery green thick stripes and solid purple underside. The stem is also a mixture of purple and green.

T. blossfeldiana

The leaves of this species are quite thicker, glossy, and covered in miniscule hairs called trichomes. The three-petalled flower is an ombre of white and pinkish purple with yellow anthers.

T. fluminensis ‘Tricolor’

This attractive variety showcases leaves with white, lilac, and green variegation. It appears smaller than the common wandering jew but bushier in form.

T. sillamontana

This whimsical species looks frosted with its silvery trichomes covering the entire plant. The green leaves are still alternately arranged but more compact which make a potted plant look more bushy than trailing. The light color of the leaves provide a complementing backdrop to the bright purple flowers.

The leaves and stems of this species are in striking deep purple color hence the common name ‘ purple heart ’. Under shaded, they turn a hint of dull green. The leaves are also longer and have wider space in between.

Does Wandering Jew plant need full sun?

Wandering Jew plants (Tradescantia zebrina) prefer bright indirect light but can tolerate some direct sun, especially in the morning or late afternoon. However, prolonged exposure to intense sunlight may cause their dark green leaves to scorch.

How do you care for a wandering Jew plant indoors?

To care for a Wandering Jew plant indoors, place it in a location with bright, indirect sunlight, such as near a window. Water it when the top inch of soil feels dry, typically every 1-2 weeks, and provide well-draining soil. Additionally, mist the plant occasionally to increase humidity and remove dust from the leaves.

How do I make my Wandering Jew fuller?

To make your Wandering Jew plant fuller, prune it regularly to encourage branching and bushier growth. Pinch off the tips of the stems or trim back leggy growth to promote new growth and create a more compact appearance. You can also propagate wandering jew cuttings to create new plants and fill out the pot.

How long do Wandering Jew plants live?

Wandering Jew plants are generally long-lived when provided with proper care. With the right growing conditions indoors, they can thrive for several years, often becoming fuller and more lush over time with regular pruning and maintenance.

Reference List

(1) Dash, G., et. al. Tradescantia zebrina: A Promising Medicinal Plant. 2017. IAJPS, 4 (10). P. 3498-3502 .

(2) Arakelyan, H. Tradescantia zebrina- Mother Nature Healing. 2019. Researchgate.

(3) Vermeulen, N. Encyclopedia of House Plants. Taylor and Francis. 1999. P. 320.

(4) North Carolina State Extension. Tradescantia zebrina. NC State University. 2018. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tradescantia-zebrina/ . Accessed on 12 August 2020.

(5) The State of Queensland. IPA-Zebrina. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. 2020. https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/51284/IPA-Zebrina-PP102.pdf . Accesed on 12 August 2020.

Photo by Wirestock/depositphotos

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Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia or Spiderwort): Care, Types, Images and More

The wandering Jew plant is a common name for different species of plants that belong to the Tradescantia genus. 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. Wandering Jew plants are great house plants because they are relatively easy to care for. They are also easy to grow because the wandering Jew plant propagates easily from cuttings.

Some types of wandering Jew plants have green and gold leaves, some have reddish leaves, and others have green fuzzy leaves. There are also types of wandering Jew plants that flower. Depending on the species, the wandering Jew plant could have purple, white, or pink flowers.

How to care for wandering Jew plant : For the Tradescantia or spiderwort plant to thrive, grow in a plenty of indirect light and plant in fertile, moist potting soil with good drainage. Make sure the soil isn’t too dry or too damp and keep medium humidity levels. The ideal temperature range is between 65°F (18°C) and 75°F (23°C). You can fertilize every four weeks during the growing season with a diluted liquid houseplant fertilizer.

In this article, you will find all you need to know about this delightful houseplant. You will also get tips and ideas on how to care for your wandering Jew plants.

Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia or Spiderwort) – Overview of the Plant and Its Flowers

The botanical name for wandering Jew plant is Tradescantia zebrina and is also called the inch plant. However, the name wandering Jew is given to many herbaceous perennial plants in the Tradescantia genus. ( 1 )

Species of Tradescantias naturally grow outdoors in countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and Australia. Varieties of wandering Jew plants also thrive well indoors, where, like their garden varieties, they grow well when it is warm, sunny, and moderately humid.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, various varieties of Tradescantias are regarded as invasive plants in the wild. However, it is the fast-growing nature of spiderworts, wandering Jews, and inch plants that makes them perfect houseplants. ( 2 )

Many people like to grow wandering Jews or spiderworts in hanging baskets or grow them in pots to decorate a garden.

What does a wandering Jew look like?

Plants from the Tradescantia varieties have leaves that seem to grow in all directions (hence the term “wandering Jew”).

One of the distinct features about foliage on wandering Jews is that many of them have striped leaves. Sometimes, the leaves can be purple and silver stripes, whereas other types of Tradescantias have leaves that are almost all silver. ( 3 )

You may also notice that some varieties of wandering Jew plant have different colors on the underneath of the leaf. For example, the Tradescantia zebrina has green/silver leaves on the upper side and deep red or burgundy colors on the underside.

Wandering Jew flower

Wandering Jew houseplants also produce attractive flowers. These flowers can sometimes be white or can range in color from pink to various shades of lilac and purple. ( 3 )

However, plant lovers don’t usually grow wandering Jews indoors or outdoors for their blooms. It’s the beautiful variation of leaf colors that makes various types of Tradescantias so desirable houseplants.

Types of Wandering Jew (Spiderwort) Plants

The most popular types of Tradescantia plants to keep indoors are Tradescantia fluminensis ( spiderwort ), Tradescantia pallida ( purple heart ), and Tradescantia zebrina ( wandering Jew ).

Wandering Jew or inch plant ( Tradescantia zebrina )

This type of  wandering Jew houseplant has purple and green leaves with a stripe pattern that resembles zebra’s stripes. There are types of wandering Jews that have bluish green leaves and purple hues on the underside.

Tradescantia fluminensis (spiderwort)

There are a number of types of Tradescantia that are called spiderwort. This is distinguished from some Tradescantias as it has ovel shiny dark green leaves with pointed tips which are slightly fleshy .

Picture of wandering Jew plant with white flowers

Tradescantia pallida (purple heart)

This type of spiderwort plant is also commonly referred to as wandering Jew. The T. pallida houseplants have vibrant purple leaves and light pink flowers when they bloom.

Wandering jew plant with deep purple leaves and light purplish-pink flowers

Tradescantia callisia

The leaves of T. callisia varieties are sometimes referred to as creeping inch plants. They have remarkably stripy leaves made up of green and white stripes.

Picture of green wandering jew

Wandering Jew Plant Care (How to Grow Spiderwort or Tradescantia)

Caring for wandering Jew plants is fairly simple and straightforward. All plants in the Tradescantia genus enjoy moist soil, sunny but indirect sunlight, and warm conditions.

So, it doesn’t matter if you have fuzzy leaf Tradescantias, purple queen varieties, spiderworts, or wandering Jews, they all require the same type of care.

Light requirements for Tradescantias

To make sure that wandering Jew plants grow successfully, they require a good amount of light. This ensures that they grow with healthy leaves that have a vibrant green, silver, purple, or lilac colors.

The best place to place wandering Jew plant or spiderworts is in an east- or west-facing location. This means that they get plenty of natural light without being in direct sunlight when the sun is at its strongest.

The only exception is if you have Tradescantia pallida plants with dark purples leaves. They usually thrive in direct sunlight, although you should regularly check them in the summertime to make sure the sun isn’t too strong.

One sign that your Tradescantia isn’t getting enough light is if the color of their leaves starts to fade.

Best growing temperature for Spiderwort or Tradescantia

One of the reasons why wandering Jew plants are good for the home is that they thrive in room temperature.

The best temperatures for growing any type of Tradescantia plant is between 65°F (18°C) and 75°F (23°C). The houseplants also thrive in conditions that are described as “average humidity.”

If you grow Tradescantias outdoors, you should be aware of a drop in night temperatures and lower temperatures during winter. You should bring Tradescantias indoors if the temperature drops.

Best watering techniques for wandering Jew plant care

To care for your inch plant, spiderwort, or wandering Jew, you should keep the soil moist.

The best way to water a wandering Jew is to water the soil thoroughly and let the water drain out the bottom. Another way to water your purple house plant is to put water in the plant pot tray and allow the plant to soak up as much as it needs.

Some beginners who start caring for houseplants such as Tradescantias for the first time buy a soil moisture gauge to help get the soil moisture levels just right.

When it comes to proper watering for your wandering Jew, always make sure the soil isn’t too dry or too damp. Usually, weekly watering in the summertime is enough to keep your Tradescantia growing well.

The best fertilizer for wandering Jew houseplants

The reason why Tradescantias are so easy to care for is that they don’t usually require any feeding.

If you decide to encourage your inch plant or spiderwort to grow faster, then choose a liquid organic fertilizer mixed at half strength and use once a month.

Most houseplant growers don’t feed their wandering Jew plants in the fall or winter as they tend to become “leggy” or “straggly.”

Which type of soil to use for Tradescantias

To properly care for wandering Jew varieties of houseplants, you only need to plant them in regular potting soil.

How to prune wandering Jew plants

In time, Tradescantia plants require some cutting back and pruning. This helps to give your houseplant a bushier appearance and also gives you plenty of cuttings to propagate.

For Tradescantia pruning, you just need to pinch off the stem tips to leave about ¾ of the length. This will encourage your plant to grow better and become more attractive.

Growing Plants from Wandering Jew Cuttings

Even for the most novice of houseplant owners, propagating any type of Tradescantia plant is very easy. After you have cut back your “leggy” wandering Jew stems, you will have a large number of cuttings that you can use to grow new house plants.

How to propagate wandering Jew plant leaves

To prepare your wandering Jew cuttings or purple heart plant cuttings for propagation, you need a couple of stems about 1-2 inches long. Remove all the leaves apart from 2 or 3 at the end of the stem.

There are 2 ways you can grow wandering Jew plants from cutting:

• The first way is to just put a cutting in potting soil and wait for it to grow. All you have to do is make sure that the soil is kept moist and not overly damp.
• The other way to grow a Tradescantia from a cutting is to put the stem in water. You should notice that new roots start to grow within a week. When you notice new roots growing, you can transfer your cuttings to a pot to grow a new houseplant.

Wandering Jew Outdoor Plant Care

Tradescantia plants are great garden plants and grow well outdoors in warmer zones in the U.S. (USDA growing zones 9-11). In fact, it is because they grow so well outside in warmer countries and are quite invasive that they are classed as a weed in certain countries.

You can easily care for any Tradescantia plants to add color and beauty to your garden. Purple hanging plants or wandering Jew vines with stripy leaves can grace any patio, doorway, or garden area.

As with caring for wandering Jews or spiderworts indoors, Tradescantia plants growing outdoor should be protected from direct sunlight. So, place your plants in shady areas of the garden. But it’s good to remember that some bright light will help the wandering Jew plant produce more flowers.

Temperature

Also, frost can damage the plant, so, if you live in areas where fall and winter temperatures drop below 10°F (12°C), you should take them indoor and continue to grow them as houseplants.

Problems with Wandering Jew Plant (Spiderwort)

Even though it is relatively easy to care for wandering Jew plants, you can still come across certain problems.

Let’s look at some growing tips for Tradescantia plants to avoid or remedy some common problems.

The most common pest when growing wandering Jews indoors are bugs such as spider mites or aphids . The appearance of these pests on your bushy spiderwort or inch plant may be a sign that conditions are too dry.

To help remedy the problems of pests on your Tradescantia, mist the leaves regularly and make sure the soil is moist enough. You may need to wash off the mites with water to help get rid of the infestation.

One of the beauties about caring for wandering Jew plants indoors or outdoors is that they are not susceptible to disease. Usually, any discoloration of the leaves or poor growth is connected to the soil being too dry or too damp.

Fungal infections

Overwatering spiderworts, inch plants, or wandering Jews can cause a fungal growth called botrytis to develop in the roots.

Brown leaves

As with most problems associated with caring for Tradescantias, brown leaves can also indicate that the growing environment isn’t right. The leaves of your wandering Jew could have turned brown because of too much or too little sunlight. Also, too much watering can affect leaf health.

Where to Buy Wandering Jew Plants

Many garden centers and online stores stock many different varieties of wandering Jews. You will also find that Tradescantia cuttings are available online.

Because many different types of wandering Jews are so easy to grow yourself, you could ask a friend for a cutting if they have the plant. You can also get more Tradescantia houseplant or garden plants by propagating cuttings from plants you already have.

FAQ Related to Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia)

Do they need any pruning.

To properly care for wandering Jews, the leaves and stems require pruning. The stems can grow quite long and start losing their leaves from the base. The best time to prune any Tradescantia plant is just before the growing season in late winter or early spring.

You may also find that Tradescantias grow better if you give them a mild prune in late summer.

How to prevent wandering Jew roots from rotting?

Go easy on the watering to stop Tradescantia plants’ roots from rotting. Water them enough to keep the soil moist during summertime and only occasionally in the winter.

Are wandering Jew plant leaves toxic to animals?

While not toxic to cats or dogs, the leaves of wandering Jew plants can cause irritation. If you have pets that like to nibble on leaves, you can still benefit from the beauty of Tradescantias if you grow the outdoor plant in hanging baskets.

Can I grow my Tradescantia plant outdoors?

Yes, you certainly can. Wandering Jew plants grow well out of doors in warm climates. During the summertime, you can move your indoor houseplants to the garden and place them away from direct sunlight.

Dashes of purple colors, bright pinks, or interesting green and purple stripped leaves can make an interesting feature in any garden or balcony.

Can you train a wandering Jew plant?

Tradescantia plants are easy to train because their stems can grow very long and you can wrap them around objects. Wandering Jew plant stems can grow up on trellises or obelisks or up around any other item.

Heavily pruning wandering Jews in late winter can also help to train the plant to grow into a colorful bush.

How fast does wandering Jew plant grow?

Tradescantia cuttings should start growing roots within a week or so. Once the plant is established, you can expect it to grow about an inch every week. Some people claim this is the reason that some Tradescantias are called inch plants.

Can Tradescantia houseplants cause allergies?

The sap of wandering Jew plants or prolonged skin exposure to its leaves could cause allergic reactions.

The journal Allergy reports that indoor plants such as Tradescantia can also cause symptoms such as itching of the throat, swelling, wheezing, and runny eyes and nose. ( 4 )

Do wandering Jew varieties have any health benefits?

Although not widely used, extracts from Tradescantia zebrina have certain medicinal properties. You can buy inch plant herbal liquid extracts that are said to have many antioxidant properties.

Researchers have found that therapeutic compounds in Tradescantia extracts have antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant uses. ( 5 )

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How To Care For A Wandering Jew Plant (Your Complete Guide)

When it comes to houseplants able to brighten up indoor spaces, it doesn’t get much more colorful than the variegated foliage of a Wandering Jew plant ( Tradescantia zebrina ). With their hardy nature and ease of care, they are a perfect choice for those feeling they kill everything they bring indoors. We’ve listed a quick summary of their care below.

How To Care For A Wandering Jew Plant: Grow your Wandering Jew in well-drained soil, kept moist but not soggy through regular watering. Create humidity, keep indoor temperatures between 50°F (10°C) to 85°F (29°C) and fertilize monthly.

Continue reading because we’ve taken all the guesswork out of caring for your Wandering Jew and keeping it healthy and happy for years to come.

How To Care For A Wandering Jew Plant

Wandering Jew plants belong in the Commelinaceae family, which includes around 652 different species. The family is made up of herbs, climbers and several epiphytes, with some used as outdoor and indoor ornamentals like Wandering Jew.

There are three different plants commonly known as Wandering Jews; Tradescantia fluminensis , Tradescantia pallida , and Tradescantia zebrina. Of the three, Tradescantia zebrina is the most common one grown and has the most eye-catching and colorful foliage. All three have the same requirements for care and good growth.

Native to Mexico and Guatemala, Wandering Jew is classified as a tender evergreen perennial that performs well planted outdoors in frost-free regions. Those living in cooler environments can easily grow it as an indoor plant planted either in containers or in hanging baskets. Outdoors it’s typically used as a quick-growing groundcover.

Although a common name shared with several very different plants, Wandering Jew is often called Inch Plant , due to the leaf margins being spaced about an inch apart. You may also find Wandering Jew listed as Zebrina Pendula , but is synonymous with Tradescantia zebrina and is the same plant.

When it comes to Wandering Jew plants, it’s all about the attention-grabbing foliage. The succulent stems give way to leaves that are a deep purple on their undersides with the upper portion striped in silvery-gray and greenish-blue. The oval leaves grow to about 2.5 inches long and the stems grow about 2 feet long. It makes a beautiful plant used in hanging baskets, with the long stems cascading over the side.

Even grown indoors, Wandering Jews have a fast rate of growth and before you know it, the plants will be spilling over your container’s or hanging basket’s sides. Whereas some indoor plants seem to take forever to fill out, this isn’t a problem with properly cared for Wandering Jew plants.

There are several other cultivars (varieties) of Wandering Jew, which include:

• ‘Purpusii’ has unstriped, hairy foliage that is either solid red or reddish-green.
• ‘Quadricolor’ produces metallic-green foliage striped in red, white and green.

Wandering Jew plants are the ideal candidates for beginner houseplant gardeners due to their hardiness and robust growth. Below we’ve outlined all the basics of their proper care, as well as identifying and preventing any potential problems so you can enjoy your Wandering Jew for years to come. The best indoor plants are those that are happy and healthy.

Soil Conditions For Wandering Jew Plants

Wandering Jew plants tolerate growing in a wide range of soils provided they drain well. Although they do tolerate and prefer moist conditions, the soil must drain properly to prevent root and stem rot from occurring. Therefore, it is necessary to use a lighter weight soil mixture in your pots rather than heavier soils that don’t provide proper drainage.

Straight potting soils are usually too heavy, retain too much moisture and have a tendency to leave the soil soggy. You can use a heavier potting soil in your soil mixture, just be sure to incorporate a lighter soil mix to provide the Wandering Jew the drainage required for healthy growth.

Commercial potting mixes work well and many have a slow-release fertilizer mixed in, which cuts down on the need for frequent feedings. The slow-release blends usually continue to fertilize the Wandering Jew for about three months.

You can also make your own soil by mixing several ingredients together such as:

• Using equal parts of compost and a potting mix.
• Mixing equal portions of compost, peat and potting soil or a potting mix.
• Using equal portions of a course sand, compost and potting soil or a potting mix.

Whatever soil you choose to use, just make sure it drains well and contains a bit of fertility for the best performance of your Wandering Jew plants.

Preferred Light Conditions

Although Wandering Jew plants tolerate lower light conditions than many houseplants, to help retain those striking colors the plant is known for, place the container in a location indoors receiving filtered sunlight. If your plant starts losing some of the color in the foliage, move it to a location that receives a bit more light.

In addition, if the lower portion of the stems start suffering leaf drop, the Wandering Jew isn’t get enough light and needs to be relocated to a brighter area inside the home.

Once the warm weather of spring arrives and if you’d like to give your Wandering Jew a bit of a break from its indoor location, place it in an outdoor spot that receives partial sun to partial shade. Moving it to an outdoor location with too much sun may leave the foliage sunburned.

Indoor Temperature Requirements

In the Wandering Jew’s native environment, temperatures are consistently warm without the threat of frosts or freezes. Generally, if the indoor temperatures inside your home are comfortable for you, they will also be comfortable for your Wandering Jew plant.

Indoor temperatures between 50°F (10°C) to 85°F (29°C) are a good range for your Wandering Jew plants. Plants grown in this temperature range produce the healthiest growth.

If you gave your plants a break from their indoor location, just make sure to bring them back indoors before the cold weather of winter strikes.

Water Requirements

Wandering Jews prefer soils that are regularly kept moist, not soggy, compared to many indoor houseplants. However, this doesn’t mean the soil should be kept so wet they never begin to dry out. Keeping the soil too wet for too long promotes rot to set in and you may end up killing your Wandering Jew plants. Your Wandering Jew is more likely to forgive you if you forget to water over watering too much and too often.

A good rule to follow is if the soil starts to feel like it’s about to become very dry, apply water. It’s easy to know exactly when to water by:

• Sticking your finger into the soil and if the top inch is starting to feel dry, water until it runs from the container’s bottom drain holes.

During the warm growing season of spring through summer, you can probably expect to water once each week. However, during winter when the Wandering Jew goes into dormancy (its growth slows), you will probably only need to water about every other week.

Humidity Requirements

Compared to many tropical plants grown indoors, Wandering Jew plants aren’t quite as fussy about humid conditions , but still need some humidity for the best growth and performance. Don’t let the thought of creating a humid environment stress you out because replicating humidity for your indoor plants is relatively easy and basic.

• Fill a spray bottle with room temperature water and mist the Wandering Jew several times each week.
• If you’re growing the Wandering Jew in a container and not in a hanging basket, you can set the pot on a tray of pebbles. As you water, the water seeps from the bottom drain holes onto the tray of pebbles and as it evaporates, it creates a humid environment around the plant.
• If your bathroom gets the appropriate amount of light for the Wandering Jew, you can allow it to grow there. Due to the regular use of water in a bathroom, moisture is created, creating the humidity the Wandering Jew requires.

Fertilizer Needs

Unless the soil mixture contains a slow-release fertilizer blend, which feeds the Wandering Jew for about three months, fertilizing monthly is sufficient for proper growth. You have several choices when it comes to fertilizer you can use for your Wandering Jew plant.

• Use a houseplant fertilizer applied at half-strength, applied when you do your regular watering.
• Use an all-purpose, water-soluble blend for outdoor and indoor plants, applied at half-strength and used during your regular watering schedule.
• If your soil mixture didn’t contain a slow-release fertilizer or it’s been about three months, if one was contained in the soil, you can reapply slow-release fertilizer granules sprinkled over the top of the soil. Follow the package directions on amounts.

When it comes to the appropriate time of year to fertilize the Wandering Jew, only fertilize while it’s actively growing, which is spring throughout summer. In winter, the plant goes through a dormant stage and all growth slows, so there is no need to apply fertilizer. Wait until spring arrives before you resume fertilizing the plant.

The one thing you will need to pay attention to when it comes to fertilizing is the buildup of salts in the soil, which can result in foliage burns. Wandering Jew plants have a low tolerance to salty soils. Preventing any salt buildup is relatively simple:

• If the plant isn’t too big, you can take the entire pot to your sink or bathtub and allow water to run slowly through the soil for about five minutes, flushing out any salts.
• If the plant is too big for indoor flushing, take it outside and allow water from the hose to run slowly through the soil for about five minutes. Allow the water to drain and then bring the plant back indoors.

Pruning Requirements

The pruning needs of Wandering Jew plants are low. If you want to control the size of the plant and promote bushier growth, you can pinch off the tips of the stems. To keep the plant always looking its best, you can trim off any broken, dead or damaged stems and leaves throughout the year.

When using pruning tools to trim your Wandering Jew always make sure they are clean so you don’t transfer any diseases or pests to your plant. This is as easy as wiping off the blades with alcohol.

Some people experience skin irritations when handling the cuttings due to the sap , so if you are unsure if you are one of these unlucky gardeners, it might be best to wear gardening gloves when pruning or handling Wandering Jew cuttings.

Potting Needs

If you purchased your Wandering Jew already potted in a hanging basket or 1-gallon container, it should thrive as is for a year or more before it requires repotting. However, if you received rooted cuttings in smaller containers like 4- to 6-inch pots, you most likely need to repot them into something a bit larger so they can grow properly.

This also cuts down on the need for repotting in a month or two as the Wandering Jew begins to outgrow its present pot.

When it comes to the pot’s material, any type works quite well for growing this plant from clay to plastic. However, if you grow your Wandering Jew in a pot made of a porous material like terra cotta, the soil is going to dry quicker than if it was growing in a plastic pot. This means you will need to water more frequently.

Once your Wandering Jew starts getting too big for its present container, it’s time to repot it into one that is around 1- to 2-inches larger. Although the plant likes a moist soil, make sure the pot has bottom drainage to prevent the possibility of rot due to conditions that are too wet.

If you like, you can dress the container up by placing the draining one inside a decorative pot without bottom drain holes, but be sure to empty out any additional water once the inner pot thoroughly drains.

I think a decorative outer pot can add so much to the beauty of your houseplants, so I do this with almost all of my houseplants. Read this article which discusses my favorite decorative planters if you need some inspiration.

Potting and repotting your Wandering Jew is basic:

• Gently remove the Wandering Jew from its present container, being careful not to break the succulent stems.
• Fill the new container that drains about a quarter of the way full with a fertile, well-drained potting mix.
• Check the Wandering Jew’s root system and if it’s growing bunched together and filled the previous pot, gently tease the roots apart with your hands.
• Place the Wandering Jew into the new container and finish filling it with soil.
• Water the Wandering Jew until it runs from the bottom drain holes and place in a bright location indoors.

Propagating New Plants

When it comes to propagating new plants, Wandering Jew is about as easy as it gets. Even if you have never done this before you should have success starting its cuttings. When you trim to control its size, don’t throw those cuttings away but use them to start additional plants.

You have two choices when it comes to rooting your cuttings and both are easy. The first thing you will want to do is obtain your cuttings. Trim off a 4- to 6-inch cutting from the mother plant and you’re ready to start rooting.

Rooting in Soil

• Fill a 6-inch to 1-gallon container that drains with a rich, well-drained potting mix. Water the soil to settle it.
• Make about a 2-inch indentation in the soil where you want to place the Wandering Jew cutting.
• Remove the bottom leaves from the cutting where you will be inserting it into the soil. You can do this by pinching them off with your fingers.
• Place the cutting into the indentation and firm the soil up around it with your fingers.
• Water the soil again and place the cutting in the same light conditions where the mother plant was thriving. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Roots should form in about four weeks and after about eight weeks, the Wandering Jew cuttings should form a new root system.

Rooting in Water

• Fill a glass jar or plastic container with about 3-inches of room temperature water.
• Pinch off any leaves from the section of the Wandering Jew cutting that will be submerged in the water.
• Place the cutting in the water and situate the container in a bright indoor location.
• Change the water in the container about every other week, or when cloudy.

You should start seeing new roots form on the cuttings in several weeks. Once the roots are several inches long, you can repot the cuttings into a draining container filled with fertile, well-drained soil.

Disease Problems

Wandering Jew plants grown indoors are hardy and don’t have major diseases that plague them. However, rot is their biggest enemy and caused by soils that are too heavy and do not drain properly, retaining too much water. Overwatering and planting in pots that don’t drain are other causes of rot problems.

When rot rears its ugly head you’ll notice the bottom stems, as well as the foliage turning black, becoming mushy and the entire plant collapses. If this happens and seems to start affecting the entire Wandering Jew plant, you can trim off healthy, unaffected sections of the stems and repot into fresh, clean soil. Since there is no saving the rot-infected sections, you will have no choice but to discard those portions of the plant.

Steps for preventing problems with rot include:

• Using lightweight potting mixes that drain well and aren’t too heavy, which leads to the soil remaining too wet for too long. Some types of potting soils have a tendency to be heavy and need mixing with a potting mix, compost, coarse sand or peat.
• Don’t overwater your Wandering Jew. Although they prefer growing in moist soils, this doesn’t mean constantly soggy soil. Stick your finger into the soil and if the top inch is starting to become dry, apply water until it runs from the bottom of the pot.
• Make sure the pot you are growing your Wandering Jew in has bottom drainage. If you have placed the pot inside a decorative one that doesn’t drain, make sure to empty all the water from it after you have watered.

Pest Problems

Although indoor Wandering Jew plants are not big candidates for problems with pests, several can cause an infestation and problems. As with any pest problem indoors or outside in the garden, quick control is always the best option to keep your plants healthy. It also assures the pests do not migrate to your other plants causing even bigger problems and headaches.

The pests most likely to infest your indoor Wandering Jew plants are:

• Aphids: Aphids come in a host of different colors and are tiny, pear-shaped, sap-sucking insects that usually congregate in large masses along the Wandering Jew’s stems. In large infestations, they can kill the plant or severely weaken it. If the infestation is small, you can wipe the pests off the stems with a moist cloth. However, if the infestation is large, you will probably have to spray the plant with an insecticidal soap or Neem, reapplying as suggested on the package.
• Spider Mites: Spider mites are another sap-sucking pest that if left unchecked can quickly kill or weaken the Wandering Jew. It is easy to tell if you have a spider mite problem as these tiny, white pests spin fine webbing that covers the plant. Spider mites can be the bane of houseplants so quick control is necessary. Use an insecticidal soap or Neem and spray the entire plant, reapplying as suggested on the product label.
• Whiteflies:   Whiteflies are other sap-sucking pests that can quickly kill or weaken your Wandering Jew if not quickly controlled. They are another easily identifiable pest, as just touching the plant sends the tiny whiteflies from the plant’s foliage and into the air, hovering right above it. Control the problem with an insecticidal soap or Neem, spraying the entire plant and reapplying as suggested on the product’s label.
• Mealybugs:   Sap-sucking mealybugs show up on the Wandering Jew as cottony masses covering the stems and crotches of the foliage. Control the problem by spraying the entire plant with insecticidal soap or Neem, reapplying as suggested on the product’s label. If the infestation is small, you can also wipe them from the stems and leaves with a damp cloth.

Is Wandering Jew A Perennial?

Wandering Jew plants are considered a tender, evergreen perennial. Unlike annuals, and if grown in preferred conditions with proper care, Wandering Jews should live and keep on growing for quite a few years, both indoors and outside.

Why Are My Wandering Jew Plant’s Leaves Losing Their Color?

If your Wandering Jew is growing in light conditions that are too low, the leaves will start to lose their color and become duller. When grown indoors and to keep the bright color on the foliage, make sure the Wandering Jew is growing in a location receiving bright light.

Why Are My Wandering Jew’s Leaves Dropping?

Wandering Jew plants grown in light conditions that are too low will start dropping leaves at the base of their stems. Solve the problem by moving the plant to an indoor location that is brighter. For the best leaf color and growth, they prefer an indoor location receiving bright light.

Why Are My Wandering Jew Cuttings Rotting In Soil?

If your Wandering Jew cuttings are rotting in soil it could be one of two things causing the problem. The soil you are growing the cuttings in may be infected with a fungus that is infecting them with rot.

You can solve the problem by planting the cutting in a sterile, well-drained potting mix. Another cause might be the soil is remaining too soggy and the container doesn’t drain.

Make sure you are using a soil that drains well and doesn’t remain soggy, do not overwater and use a container with bottom drainage. Water the cuttings when to top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.

Can I Root Wandering Jew Cuttings In Water?

Wandering Jew cuttings root quite well in water. Fill a container with several inches of water, remove any leaves that would be submerged and stick the cut end into the water.

Fill the container with fresh, clean water about every other week. You should start seeing root form on the cuttings in several weeks. Once the roots get several inches in length, you can repot the cuttings in a draining container with rich, well-drained soil.

Are Wandering Jew Plants Toxic?

When it comes to humans, Wandering Jew’s sap can cause skin irritation in humans that are allergic to it. Therefore, it’s best to wear gardening gloves when handling or pruning the plant.

The plant is listed as toxic to dogs and cats, due to its tendency to cause skin allergies and dermatitis. To keep your pets and children safe, make sure you situate your indoor Wandering Jew out of the reach of both.

If you’d like some indoor plants that are non-toxic, check out this article which discusses my favorite non-toxic houseplants.

Do Wandering Jew Plants Produce Blooms?

When grown outdoors, Wandering Jews produce small, three-petaled, lavender flowers, but the plant rarely ever blooms grown indoors as a houseplant.

Can I Grow Wandering Jew Outdoors?

Wandering Jew plants grow as perennials planted outdoors in frost-free climates, however, those with cooler weather can plant outdoors and treat it as an annual.

What’s The Growth Rate For Wandering Jew Plants?

When grown in proper conditions with proper care, Wandering Jew plants are considered fast growers.

Many thanks for reading my guide to Wandering Jew care. This really is a great indoor plant for your home. Beautiful and easy to care for, its hard to go wrong.

If you want more help with looking after your indoor plants, check out the rest of my articles , and head over to my resources section , where I have some great recommended resources, books and equipment to help you grow healthier, more beautiful plants.

Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina): Plant Care and Growing Guide – House Plants Expert

Table of Contents

The Wandering Jew plant is the common name given to a number of plants from the Tradescantia genus, including the scientific name Tradescantia Fluminensis, Tradescantia Pallida, and the most popular one – Tradescanita Zabrina.

The common name of “The Wandering Jew” is believed to come from a legend that the wandering jew ‘taunted Jesus’ en route to being crucified and was cursed to walk the Earth until the second coming. This can be viewed as antisemitic to some so be sensitive to that. We love our plants and certainly do not mean to offend when using their common name. Many have started now to use the common name wandering dudes or dude plant.

Some countries classify this species as an invasive plant or even a weed. This is because of its growth habit (it grows fast and prevents the growth of other plants). However, grown indoors it makes an attractive hanging basket or windowsill plant.

The purple wandering jew or purple heart is one of my favorite plants. The foliage is fleshy, has violet leaf colors, easy to care for, has simple propagation, and is just an overall nice houseplant to have in your collection.

Description

There are a number of tradescantia plants very similar in looks, how they’re grown and their growth habit, including the T. zebrina (which has dark green leaves with silver bands), the Tradescantia Fluminensis variegata with cream stripes, and quicksilver which has white stripes. Then there’s the T. Pallida from the same genus which is sometimes named Wandering Jew plant but looks very different from the Tradescantia Fluminensis and Zebrina.

Foliage  

Fleshy oval or lance-shaped leaves are produced from the pendant stems (growing a couple of feet or so long). These small leaves have a shiny appearance and grow to about 2 – 4 inches long with pointed tips. The underside of a leaf is purple in color on the zebrina and new leaves appear purple at first, then turn green. In the wild or grown in gardens (grown as a bedding plant) stems take root at the nodes, but indoors in a hanging basket or container they grow and hang over the sides.

Flowering 

The small non-showy flowers are white in color, appearing during summer usually and at other times (depending on the conditions). These flowers appear in clusters and display three small petals.

Plant Care and Growing  

Wandering jew plants are pretty simple to care for and maintain, although providing plenty of bright light is important. Tradescantia naturally becomes spindly and needs to be pruned regularly and pinching stems will encourage fuller growth, improving its appearance.

Potential Problems

• Spindly growth and bare stems:  This happens naturally with age for this plant but lack of light, water, or plant food can also cause spindly growth. If the plant is old and conditions are fine (water, light, etc.) then it could be time to replace it.
• All green leaves:  Variegated leaves turning green and losing their variegation is most likely due to too much light.
• Limp stems:  Limp stems are usually a sign that the plant is lacking water

Take a 3 to 5-inch softwood cutting and place it in a moist potting mixture or water. Wait three weeks and enjoy.

Yes, the wandering jew can live in water indefinitely given nutrients and frequent water changes.

Yes, it is toxic but not fatal to cats, dogs, and horses. The leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals which is the toxic component.

The answer is it can be planted inside or out and is even considered a noxious weed in some areas as it grows so well.

Water often to keep the soil moist but not soaked.

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Elyssa Goins is an experienced house plant hobbyist who maintains over a hundred plants. She is a gardener, beekeeper, and a proud mother of four.  She is a member of the American Horticultural Society, has a published study in the National Social Science Association , and loves to talk about her love of plants.  For the past twenty years, she’s been all about growing and caring for various fruits, veggies, herbs, livestock, kids, and houseplants. Managing a big garden to feed four growing kids and raising dairy goats has taught her so much about being an excellent plant parent and now is her time to share with you.

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Hi Mary, I hope you are able settle an argument between my brother & I He claims that golden canes are a grass spieces & not a tree!! Thank you in anticipation James

Oh boy, this feels like a setup. Golden Canes are a monocots which is in the same primary class as grass. What is the definition of a tree? If your hammock is tied to a tree on a tropical island would you call it grass? The technical and practical definitions are not the same for this age old debate.

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Wandering Jew Plants Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Tradescantia zebrina”

It might surprise you to learn that “the wandering Jew” isn’t a single plant, its name used to describe a collection of plants in the Tradescantia genus.

Many countries around the world view the wandering Jew as an invasive species. Therefore, you won’t find many of them as regular additions to gardens . However, the vine makes for an excellent indoor plant .

Table of Contents

Quick Facts

Wandering jew plant varieties.

The wandering Jew refers to three different plants in the Tradescantia genus. The three varieties are the zebrina, fluminensis, and the pallida.

Tradescantia Zebrina

The zebrina is the most common of the three species, and it features dark-green foliage that contrasts against the brilliant-white three-petal flowers the plant produces.

As you can imagine, the plant also gets part of its name from the zebra-like foliage. The center of the leaf id has a creamy-white color, and the outer trimming of the leaves has a silver lining.

Tradescantia Fluminensis

This wandering Jew species features white flowers, and it’s a trendy indoor plant around the world. The species originates from the southeastern region of Brazil. It’s an evergreen perennial plant that flowers all-year-round and lasts for many years if the owner takes care of it correctly.

The oval-shaped foliage of the Fluminensis is green in color and has a glossy look. The leaves attach to fleshy stems, and the stem nodes quickly put roots down into the soil, allowing for the rapid spread and growth of the plant in ideal growing conditions.

When the plant flowers , it produces a set of flowers with three white petals. The flowers don’t bear any seeds, and they might also emerge in clusters. There are various sub-species of this plant as well, and some types, such as variegate, feature different leaf colors, such as yellow or cream streaks in the leaves.

The plant does best in USDA zones 9 to 12, as it loves the additional humidity in these regions as well. The wandering Jew doesn’t do well in colder climates, so stick to planting in the southern states.

The wandering Jew also prefers full sunlight during the day, and you’ll need to feed it a reasonable amount of water throughout the week. The plant doesn’t enjoy being dry for long periods.

Tradescantia Pallida

This variety originates in Mexico, and it’s the most attractive of the three Tradescantia genus. This wandering Jew produces long, pointy leaves that can reach lengths of 7-inches. The leaf will eventually turn a purple color, but the tips might remain red or green during the color transition.

There are visible segmentations on the stem of this wandering Jew, and it’s for this reason that many countries classify this plant as invasive.

The segments break easily, but they root readily, evolving into two plants with little care. Fortunately, for fans of the plant, it also makes it easy to grow the plants for cuttings as well.

Tradescantia pallida don’t like the cold, and it will die back in colder environments in the Northern states, especially if it grows outside. This wandering Jew produces small flowers that bloom in colors of pink, lavender, and white. The flowers feature three petals, and while they aren’t show-stopping, then do add a beautiful aesthetic to the plant.

• shipped in inproved box to save the plant

• Purple Wandering Jew Live Plant Cuttings - (9) Cuttings - Tradescantia Zebrina Live Plant for Growing Indoor - No Root

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Natural Air Cleaners

One of the reasons why the wandering Jew is such a popular house plant is its natural air-cleaning properties. The wandering Jew is an excellent “air scrubber,” and it removes bacteria and VOCs from the air inside your home, exchanging it for fresh air that enhances your home.

Some research also shows that the wandering Jew can assist in soil remediation, as well. The plant can remove heavy metals from the soil, helping restore the root health of other plants in the same flowerbed or pot.

Caring for Your Wandering Jew Plant

All varieties of the wandering Jew are easy to care for, provided that you grow them in the right climate and conditions. As long as the plant receives regular watering and pruning, it will thrive, and you’ll also manage to control the growth as well.

If you plant in a sunny spot in your home, then you can expect your tradescantia to last for many seasons. It’s also important to note that the plant might not flower it in its first season. However, by the third year, you should see plenty of flowers that emerge in the summer months.

As mentioned, the wandering Jew prefers sunny planting locations. The plant prefers later afternoon sun to morning sun, but it does well in any sunny area around the home. The more light you give the plant, the more flowers it produces in the flowering season.

If your wandering Jew does not get sufficient sunlight, you’ll notice that the color of the leaves starts to fade. Move the plant to a sunny spot, and it should recover in less than a week.

The wandering Jew enjoys a balanced moisture level in its soil . Don’t let the earth get too dry, as it might cause burning in the tips of the leaves. Likewise, the wandering Jew does not enjoy excessively wet soil either. The plant is susceptible to forming root rot if you “keep its feet wet.”

To check if it’s time to water your wandering Jew, push your finger about 1-inch into the soil. If it feels dry, then give your plant some water.

You must ensure you use a rich, loamy soil that drains well when planting your wandering Jew. When planting in a pot, make sure you add a layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot to enhance drainage. Add perlite to the soil to assist with drainage as well.

You can get away with using a standard potting mix when planting indoors , and other soil enhancements we recommend you add are the following.

• Coarse sand and perlite for drainage
• Humus or peat
• A light dusting of lime
• A few handfuls of rich organic compost

You want the soil to retain water but still allow optimal drainage.

During the growing season, fertilize your wandering Jew plant using a liquid-based fertilizer product. Make sure that you dilute the fertilizer to 50-percent strength.

Strong concentrations can result in burning in the tips of the leaves of the plant. You can also add a granular slow-release fertilizer to the soil once a year at the start of spring.

The wandering Jew grows quickly, and it might take over its pot in one or two seasons, depending on the size of the container. Therefore, you’ll need to pull up the plant and divide it from year-to-year, depending on its growth rate.

If you choose to re-pot your plant, make sure you use a pot that’s at least 50-percent larger than the old one. Line the pot with potting soil and a few handfuls of rich organic compost. Dig around the edges of the existing container to loosen the root ball. After loosening, pull the base of the plant to release it from the pot.

Move the plant to its new pot, and then fill with potting mix to cover the roots — Pat down the soil, and then water lightly.

Wandering Jew plants require regular pruning . The plant grows quickly, and if you don’t prune, then it can overtake the pot fast. Pruning also helps the stem, from getting “leggy,” meaning that the plant starts to look bare at the base. Pruning keeps the plant healthy and growing at an optimal rate.

All; you need to do is prune back any stems and pinch the stem tips. The wandering Jew will then send out two new shoots from the pinched top, helping your plant spread out into a bush-like appearance.

Propagation

The wandering Jew is easy to propagate . This plant grows quickly in a variety of conditions, which is one of the reasons why most countries list it as invasive. You can propagate your cuttings after your pruning session, without much effort.

Remove all of the leaves but the top set after pruning the stem. Place the cutting in another smaller pot with moist potting soil . Leave the container in the sun, and you should find that the cutting roots in a month.

Being an indoor plant , the wandering Jew does not get much attention from pests. However, spider mites can be a problem for your plant if you don’t take care of it and watch for the presence of pests.

Spider mites are tiny spider-like bugs that form a web around the inside of the leaves of the plant. If left unmanaged and untreated, they might start to cause yellow spots in the foliage. The wandering Jew might also fail to flower in the summer months as well.

Over-watering your wandering Jew plant can result in the onset of diseases like root rot. Ensure that you have a well-draining soil mix before planting your wandering Jew. Provided that you do everything you can to ensure your soil drains well, you should never have a problem with root rot in your wandering Jew plant.

Wandering Jew Plants FAQS

What is the best way to grow a wandering jew plant.

The best way to grow a Wandering Jew plant involves placing it in a location that gets plenty of sunlight, preferably late afternoon sun. You should use well-draining, loamy soil to plant it, and ensure a balanced moisture level by watering it regularly but not excessively. The plant also appreciates humidity and occasional fertilizing with a liquid-based fertilizer diluted to 50% strength during the growing season. Pruning should be done regularly to manage its growth.

Is Wandering Jew easy to grow?

A: Yes, Wandering Jew plants are generally easy to grow. They adapt well to various conditions and are fast-growing. They can be propagated easily from cuttings and require minimal maintenance beyond regular watering, pruning, and an occasional application of fertilizer. However, they do not tolerate cold climates very well.

Does wandering Jew like full sun or shade?

Wandering Jew plants prefer locations with full sunlight. They can tolerate some shade but too much shade can cause the color of the leaves to fade. More sunlight exposure generally leads to more flowers during the flowering season.

How often do you water Wandering Jew?

Wandering Jew plants should be watered regularly to maintain a balanced moisture level in the soil. However, the soil should not be allowed to become too dry or too wet. Overwatering can lead to root rot. A good way to check if it’s time to water is to push your finger about 1-inch into the soil. If it feels dry, it’s time to water the plant.

Is Tradescantia Zebrina easy to grow?

Yes, Tradescantia Zebrina, a variety of Wandering Jew, is easy to grow. It requires similar care to other Wandering Jew varieties and is known for its adaptability and quick growth.

Does Tradescantia Zebrina need full sun?

Tradescantia Zebrina does best in a location with full sunlight. While it can tolerate some shade, insufficient sunlight can cause the leaves to lose their vibrant color. Like other Wandering Jew plants, the more light it gets, the more flowers it produces during its flowering season.

Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. Since then she has gone on to develop a passion for growing vegetables & fruit in her garden. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast. Contact her at [email protected] or follow on twitter https://twitter.com/greenholliec

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under the photo “easy to propagate”, that is not a wandering jew-its a peperomia “rosso!”

My wandering jew plants leafs are getting dried. Why is that?

It’s not getting enough humidity

Could you elaborate on “rich organic compost”? What should it be made of, exactly? Can I use compost accelerator in the soil mix?

Worm castings are great, or worm tea, egg shell tea is another.

What month does the jew break ground to start growing?

All depends on your specific areas weather pattern and seasons.

Do NOT BUY ANY OF THIS SPECIES if you have a dog because dogs are very allergic to these plants & come out in bad rashes if they wander through them!

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Wandering Jew Plant – Ultimate Care Guide

By: Author Daniel

Posted on Last updated: September 18, 2023

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You are reading this guide to learn more about the Wandering Jew Plant and its care . I have had this plant at home for many years and write about all the growing aspects in this guide.

Wandering Jew Plant Care Takeaways

What is the wandering jew plant.

The Wandering Jew, or Tradescantia zebrina, by its scientific name (old name = Zebrina pendula) is native to Mexico. It is not to be confused with Tradescantia albiflora, which also goes by Wandering Jew and has very similar care needs. 

Tradescantia zebrina has attractive foliage, sporting exciting zebra-patterned leaves. It also flowers. But when kept as a houseplant, this rarely ever happens. It is a fast-growing and excellent groundcover, according to the University of Florida .

W andering Jew Plant Care

To keep your Wandering Jew plant thriving, ensure it receives bright, indirect sunlight. Keep it in average room temperatures of 60-75°F (16-24°C). Fertilize once a month during spring and summer. In winter, relocate the plant to a cooler area with temperatures of 54-59°F (12-15°C).

Table of Contents

Tradescantia zebrina Growing guide

Tradescantia zebrina care is pretty straightforward, but it certainly can’t hurt to glance at the most important things to consider when caring about this herbaceous perennial plant. 

So, without further ado, let’s see how you can make your Wandering Jew, aka the Inch plant, as happy as possible.

Any good potting soil will do for your Wandering Jew. For instance, this could be Miracle Gro potting soil readily available online in stores like Amazon. 

But these plants not only feel very comfortable in soil but can also be kept in hydroponics .

Sunlight is a vital aspect when it comes to the well-being of most houseplants. Some houseplants do well with moderate sunlight, while others only thrive (or flower) when a certain level of sunlight is guaranteed.

The Wandering Jew does best in bright, indirect sunlight . 

If you are unsure what that means, please look at our Light Levels article.   

The Wandering Jew, a tropical native, thrives best when the root ball is always well moisturized. Still, waterlogging should be avoided whenever possible, as this could lead to root rot .

This tropical plant does not enjoy limy water. Use soft water whenever possible. Rainwater and distilled water are very good choices. 

Temperature

People who own an Inch plant and keep it outside run the risk of exposing it to cold temperatures. This is where indoor plant owners have the upper hand.

Wandering Jews can thrive with average room temperatures of 60 to 75°F (16 to 24°C) if it doesn’t drop for long periods. Anything below 12°C for an extended period could be fatal for your Wandering Jew.

Wandering Jews prefer a humidity of around 70%

The perennial, herbaceous Wandering Jew plant is native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, so it should not surprise you that it likes a good deal of humidity. 

To ensure high humidity levels, regularly misting your plant is a very good idea. A hand mister filled with water does the trick. 

As for the location, you may want to keep your Wandering Jew in the bathroom , as this is usually the place in the house with the highest humidity. 

Feed your plant once a month during spring and summer. In winter, fertilizing is not necessary. 

Also, fertilization of the Wandering Jew is only necessary from the second year of cultivation or after repotting. 

Propagation

It is best propagated through stem tip cuttings. Propagating the Wandering Jew is an easy task.

Wandering Jews don’t get very tall. They might reach a height of about 14 inches (36 cm) when kept indoors. They spread to about 10 inches (25 cm).

(Re)potting

The thing with the Wandering Jew is that it grows fast , hence its nickname “Inch plant.” Because of its fast-growing pace, the plant usually gets very leggy, and leaves are often lost near the base of the plant. 

Repotting is pivotal for keeping the root system healthy regardless of the actual plant species. However, how often a houseplant needs to be repotted depends on various factors.

Some houseplants grow incredibly fast, so they need to be repotted often. Others, on the other hand, grow very slowly, so repotting is not a top priority. 

That said, repotting your Wandering Jew occasionally is a good idea. 

How long does a Wandering Jew live?

As far as the longevity of Wandering Jews goes, they often don’t get older than 2 to 3 years.  

Wandering Jew Watering

Water about once every 5-7 days in spring and summer. Keep the soil slightly humid. Do not let the Wandering Jew dry out between waterings. Use your index finger to check if the soil is dry down 1-2 inches of soil (2.5 – 5 cm).

Reduce watering to every 10-14 days in autumn and winter.

Wandering Jew Propagation

The Wandering Jew roots very easily . The plant can easily be propagated through stem tip cuttings.

When propagating your Wandering Jew, make sure that your plant is in a healthy condition. 

Please follow our step-to-step guide to propagate your Wandering Jew through stem tip cuttings.

Propagation through stem tip cuttings

• Identify the plant that you want to replicate. It should have healthy growth and plenty of stems. 
• Make clean cuts on sections that are three to six inches in length . 
• Use a sharp knife and carefully cut the leaves on the stem’s bottom half.
• If you want, you can dip the exposed end of the stem in a rooting hormone . This will speed up the rooting process. However , it is unnecessary . 
• Place your stem tip cuttings into a pot with fresh soil after thoroughly watering the potting mixture. 
• Use a clear plastic bag to hold in moisture, taking it off to water weekly . 
• Keep your eyes on the plant for new growth . You should start to see roots in about two to three weeks . Once this happens, transfer the plant babies to a larger pot. 

Note: Instead of rooting your stem tip cuttings directly in soil, you could also root them in water .

Wandering Jew Pest Control

Wandering Jews are prone to aphids and spider mites attacks. So, you will need to look out for these two little pests. 

Some of these are known to cause defoliation, while others can kill the plant altogether. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you may need to use chemicals or insecticides .

Aphids on my Inch Plant

The Wandering Jew is not particularly susceptible to plant diseases or pests. Yet, you might have to deal with an aphid attack at some point. These parasites pierce the leaves of their host plant and suck their sap.

Like scale insects, they excrete sticky honeydew, by which you can immediately recognize the infestation.

Aphids can multiply explosively, especially in warm , dry environments.

As a preventive measure, ensure regular watering and occasional misting of your Wandering Jew.

The best way to combat aphids is to control them mechanically by rinsing them off the plant with water . Isolate the plant from the rest of the collection.

Pest Prevention

To prevent the Wandering Jew from pest infestations, plucking dried leaves regularly makes sense as well as using neem oil. The dried leaves lying on the substrate must be removed. Otherwise, there is a risk of rotting or infestation by parasites and fungi .

Wandering Jew Problems

Brown leaf tips.

Brown leaf tips is a very common problem with a wide variety of houseplant. Depending on the species, the causes for this problem can be very different, though. 

So what causes leaves to turn brown with Wandering Jews?

My Wandering Jew has only green leaves (not enough variegation)

If you do own a variegated Wandering Jew but only see a great amount of non-variegated leaves, chances are that your plant does not get enough sunlight . 

To solve the problem, allow your Wandering Jew some bright, indirect sunlight by placing it in a sunnier location. 

Fading leaves

If your inch plant’s foliage is suddenly losing color and sports fading leaves, this is another sign that it does not get enough sunlight . 

Dropping leaves

Dropping leaves is another very common problem many plant parents must deal with regularly . If your Wandering Jew drops leaves, this is usually due to too low or too high temperatures . 

In summer , ensure your Wandering Jew is exposed to average room temperatures.

In winter , it should be kept in a cooler environment.

Is Wandering Jew care difficult?

Wandering Jews are considered low-maintenance plants and are perfectly suitable for beginners. 

They do well at average room temperatures, don’t demand a very high level of humidity (which is sometimes difficult to achieve in a home environment), and it is very easy to propagate them through stem tip cuttings. 

Which plant species are commonly referred to as “Wandering Jew”?

Tradescantia zebrina as well as Tradescantia albiflora. 

What is the difference between Tradescantia zebrina and Zebrina pendula?

There is no difference between Tradescantia zebrina and Zebrina pendula. Zebrina pendula is just the old name for Tradescantia zebrina. 

Does my Wandering Jew flower at all?

Wandering Jews are indeed flowering plants. However, when kept indoors, they very rarely flower. 

How long can you keep a Wandering Jew?

If you don’t propagate your Wandering Jew, you can keep it for about three years. After that period, the quality of your Wandering Jew will most likely decrease. If you regularly propagate your leafy friend through stem tip cuttings, you can keep it indefinitely.

Any display tips for Wandering Jews?

Wandering Jews look great in hanging planters!

Is the Wandering Jew toxic to cats?

The Wandering Jew plant is toxic to cats. Therefore, you have to keep your cat away from this plant. 

Is the Wandering Jew toxic to dogs?

Yes, the Wandering Jew plant is toxic to dogs. Therefore, you must ensure your dog does not come in contact with this plant. 

What are the health benefits of Tradescantia zebrina, if any?

Not only is The Wandering Jew a beautiful houseplant famous for its striking foliage, but it also presents several health benefits for humans. It is especially known for its antioxidant and antibacterial activity, and it is widely used in Traditional Medicine in several countries. Tradescantia zebrina is also believed to be a valuable source for treating kidney diseases.

The Last Zebrina

The Wandering Jew is a great houseplant that looks stunning in hanging planters. Its care is easy apart from its humidity-loving nature.

Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.

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Home » House Plants » Wandering Jew

Tradescantia Pallida Care: Growing The Purple Heart Plant

Tradescantia pallida [trad-es-KAN-tee-uh, PAL-lid-duh] has striking purple evergreen leaves, providing a splash of color throughout the year.

The purple Tradescantia is part of the Tradescantia genus (spiderwort) of plants found throughout South and Central America, including northeast Mexico.

This tender evergreen perennial belongs to the Commelinaceae family, sometimes called the spiderwort or dayflower family.

Tradescantia pallida has several common names, including  wandering Jew  or walking Jew.

These common names are shared with other species from the Tradescantia genus:

• Tradescantia fluminensis
• Tradescantia zebrina

Additional common names include:

• Purple Queen
• Purple heart plants
• Purple secretia
• Purple spiderwort
• Purple heart spiderwort
• Purple wandering jew
• Tradescantia purple heart

These indicate the purple foliage and its heart-shaped leaves.

The common name Tradescantia purple heart refers to the fact that this plant is part of the spiderwort family.

In this article, we’ll delve into everything you need to know about proper purple heart wandering jew care.

Grooming Purple Leaf Tradescantia Plants

To propagate purple heart with cuttings, tradescantia pallida care.

Caring for Tradescantia pallida is relatively easy, making it a popular choice among gardeners and plant enthusiasts.

Size and Growth

Tradescantia pallida (synonym Setcreasea pallida) is a relatively delicate plant with thin stems. It grows in short mounds, reaching a height of just 8″ inches.

The trailing stems spread up to 18″ inches or more and produce shockingly purple evergreen leaves.

The v-shaped leaves are narrow and measure 4″ to 6″ inches long. When grown outdoors, this purple queen wandering jew can provide weedy ground covers.

The stems of Purple Heart are fragile, especially with younger plants. If kicked or stepped on, the stems may break.

Flowering and Fragrance

The spiderwort purple plant blooms throughout the warmer months, producing small, three-petaled flowers.

The small pink flowers rarely measure more than 1.5″ inches in diameter.

They appear in clusters and don’t produce a scent.

Light and Temperature

Tradescantia pallida purple heart grows best in partial shade and will tolerate full sun areas.

It shouldn’t receive direct afternoon sunlight for over an hour or two. Too much direct sunlight causes the leaves to fade or scorch.  

While purple spiderwort Tradescantia thrives in the shade, full sun or bright lighting helps bring out the color in the purple leaves.

NOTE:  If the plant receives a lot of sunlight, the soil should be kept moist.

The tender purple queen plant can’t survive freezing conditions.

It’s often grown in gardens as an annual in regions with mild climates and indoors as a houseplant in cooler areas.

The purple snake plant is winter hardy to USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11.

When grown indoors, it should receive filtered light for at least eight hours per day.

If possible, try to move the spiderwort purple plant outdoors during the warmer months of spring and summer to encourage brighter foliage.

Watering and Feeding

Water moderately during the warmer months and sparingly during the winter.

The purple heart plant is drought tolerant and thrives on neglect.

When watering, ensure there are adequate drainage holes to prevent root rot. 

Lack of humidity can also result in brown leaf tips. You can encourage humidity by moving your plant into the bathroom when showering or using a humidifier.

Add a liquid fertilizer every four weeks throughout the spring and summer.

Soil and Transplanting

Grow tradescantia pallida in loamy soil. It should offer decent water retention and good drainage.

Add organic matter, such as peat moss, perlite, or compost, to improve the quality of regular garden soil and improve drainage.

If the soil is too rich, add small amounts of sand. Transplant as needed or every few years to refresh the soil.

Moreover, if the roots extend to the edge of its current container, repotting is needed.

Proper grooming is important when caring for an tradescantia pallida.

Trim the purple leaf tradescantia plant back after flowering in the fall to manage its growth. Yearly grooming also encourages bushier growth.

Trimming plants before bringing them indoors for the winter also helps produce bushier growth the following year.

Related:   Assorted Inch Plants to Grow and Collect

However, be careful when handling this trad purple plant, as the juice from the stems and leaves can cause skin irritation.

How To Propagate Purple Heart Plant

Purple heart wandering jew is easily propagated using stem cuttings.

Take cuttings from a healthy, mature Purple heart plant using a clean, sharp knife or a pair of scissors when the plant is actively growing.

Indoor plants may grow year-round, while outdoor plants mostly grow in the spring and summer.

• Cut a section measuring at least 4″ inches long and containing several leaves.
• Place the cutting in a glass of water and set it on a windowsill with bright sunlight.
• Within a week or two, the cutting should grow roots.
• After the roots appear, prepare a small pot for the cutting.
• Use loamy soil with good drainage.
• Water the soil thoroughly.
• Use a finger to press a hole big enough for the bottom portion of the cutting.
• Place the cutting in the hole and lightly pack the surrounding soil so the plant sticks up.
• Set the plant in a bright spot and keep the soil moist.
• When temperatures warm in the spring, move the plant outdoors.
• Keep the wandering jew purple heart plant indoors throughout the winter.
• When grown outdoors, young shoots are susceptible to damage from strong winds.
• Allowing it to overwinter gives the plant time to grow stronger roots and stems.
• Wait until new growth develops before transplanting in-ground or moving to a larger container or hanging basket.

Purple Heart Plant Care: Pests or Diseases

Tradescantia pallida doesn’t suffer from any serious insect or disease issues.

It’s a tough plant and grows easily in most conditions.

A few potential issues include damage from common pests like caterpillars,  snails , aphids, vine weevils, and mealybugs when growing young plants outdoors.

Remove these critters by hand or add a layer of gravel, wood chips, or  diatomaceous earth  around the plant.

The barrier may keep caterpillars and snails away.

While the plant has an aggressive root system and trailing growth, it’s not invasive.

Tradescantia pallida aren’t toxic, but the foliage may cause mild skin irritation.

Wear gloves when handling the wandering jew purple heart plant, such as during grooming or transplanting.

Suggested Tradescantia Pallida Uses

The short, trailing growth of the purple heart plant makes it a good choice for ground cover.

The downward growth of the stems also works well in hanging baskets.

More From The World Of Tradescantia

• Have you ever asked the question:  Is Wandering Jew Poisonous ?
• The patented Wandering Jew –  Nanouk Tradescantia Plant
• Caring For The Tricolor Tradescantia
• Caring For The  Purple Oyster Plant

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Wandering Jew Care: How to Grow a Long and Luscious Inch Plant (Tradescantia Zebrina)

Tradescantia zebrina (commonly known as wandering Jew, spiderwort, or inch plant) is popular for a reason: This beginner-friendly houseplant is low-maintenance and grows quickly. It’s also super easy to propagate more plants so you can fill your home with more of the colorful striped foliage the species is known for.

Written by Linda Ly

When it comes to vigorous, colorful, and easy-to-grow hanging houseplants, there aren’t many that can compare to Tradescantia zebrina (known 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, most indoor gardeners have owned one of these potted plants at some point. 

Keep reading for everything you need to know about Tradescantia zebrina and growing this stunning houseplant in your own home.

Disclosure: If you shop from my article or make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend.

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 moist areas. It can form very dense, wide mats thanks to its creeping growth pattern and ability to throw roots 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 species easily takes hold in moist, forested areas.

As a 2019 study carried out in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest notes, this is problematic due to the species choking out native plants.

Some of the above was caused by careless gardeners allowing bits of the plant to get into the wild, where they quickly root. If you’d like to grow spiderworts like this one in your garden, please make sure to dispose properly of any trimmings left after pruning!

This also applies to zebrina’s popular cousins, like Tradescantia fluminensis, T. pallida, and T. spathacea.

Description

It’s not difficult to see why Tradescantia zebrina gained popularity as a houseplant. Wandering spiderwort plants (not to be confused with spider plants , another beginner-friendly species) are low-maintenance and grow just about anywhere—they even just grow in water !

Easy care and quick growth aside, spiderworts are also just good-looking plants. The pointed, oval leaves on thin, fleshy stems overlap slightly 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 bright pink.

Although this species is naturally a creeping plant, it’s often grown indoors in hanging planters. As long as the plant is provided with enough light, the foliage will be very dense and brightly colored, forming a spectacular waterfall that can reach more than 3 feet in length.

What’s in a name? In the case of common houseplants, sometimes a lot.

Tradescantia zebrina is a classic houseplant (I found 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 reference to the “wandering” nature of the plant, as it does have a creeping growth pattern.

The legend of the wandering Jew is hundreds of years old and is now commonly considered to be rooted in antisemitism. It describes a Jewish man cursed to walk the planet until the Second Coming because he taunted Jesus on his way to the cross.

Because of this, the plant name has partly fallen out of fashion and has been the source of much debate in the plant world over the past few years. 

Some plant enthusiasts have embraced the alternative “wandering dude,” which I personally think is a great option.

“Inch plant” (houseplant enthusiasts don’t agree 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 alternatives, though these are common names for other Tradescantia varieties, such as Tradescantia Nanouk.

The best way to avoid any confusion is to just stick to the scientific name.

Inch plant varieties

There are three subspecies of inch plant (wandering Jew): Tradescantia zebrina var. zebrina, var. flocculosa, and var. mollipila. Unsurprisingly, after it having been a popular houseplant for so many years, nurseries have also managed to create a whole bunch of cultivars through selective cultivation.

A few of the popular Tradescantia zebrina cultivars you may come across in your local plant store include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Quadricolor’: Yep, as the name suggests, this one adds an extra color to the mix. The leaves are cream, pink-purple, light green, and dark green.
• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Burgundy’: Characterized by its very dark purple coloration.
• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Silver Plus’: Less purple, more shiny silver.
• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Red Gem’: Less silver, more intense (light) purple.
• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Purple Joy’: Less silver, more dark purple. 
• Tradescantia zebrina ‘Tikal’: A rare, naturally occurring variety that collectors pay a pretty penny for.

Do keep in mind that most of these cultivars aren’t patented and the amount of mislabeling and variation within a cultivar are both huge. Just growing your wandering Jew in lower-light conditions can completely change the way it looks, so it’s not surprising that confusion sometimes reigns supreme.

Luckily, care is the same across all cultivars, so your best bet is to just enjoy your plant even if you’re not sure what Tradescantia variety you’re dealing with!

Where to buy wandering Jew plants:

• California Tropicals
• Daylily Nursery
• The Green Escape

Caring for an inch plant

Light and temperature.

It’s important to provide your Tradescantia zebrina with enough light. It’s tempting to use plants to brighten up dark, shaded spots in your home, but that just doesn’t work with this one: It loses its dense growth pattern and beautiful coloration in low light.

To prevent your wandering dude plant from growing sparse and green, place it near a window that gets bright indirect light. Some full sun isn’t a problem either, but do make sure you acclimate it gradually to a higher light location.

Temperature-wise, this species is a lot hardier than many of the tender tropicals we like to grow in our homes (like Anthurium andraeanum and Begonia maculata ).

Wandering dude plants can handle a very wide range of temps, making it perfect for those chillier windowsills that your other plants may not appreciate. Room temperature is ideal, but anything between 50°F to 85°F will keep them happy.

Water and humidity

Your Tradescantia zebrina will appreciate lightly moist soil. You can water a bit more during the summer months, when the plant is actively growing and needs a lot of moisture, and less during winter, when soil tends to take significantly longer to dry. 

If you’re not sure whether it’s time to water your wandering Jew plant yet, you can always turn to the age-old trick of sticking a finger in the soil.

• If it still feels damp, wait a little longer, until the first inch or two has dried. 
• If it feels bone dry, you’ve waited too long; you may also see limp leaves on your plant at this point. It’ll bounce back, but not always without lasting damage. 
• If the soil feels wet, you watered too much and need to keep an eye out for root rot.

As for humidity, given its rather wet natural habitat, wandering Jew does appreciate higher air moisture levels. The great thing is, though, that it doesn’t demand it. As long as you keep its soil lightly moist and the air isn’t extremely dry, your plant should do well.

Soil and planting

Wandering Jew is not fussy about its potting mixture at all. I’ve grown it in pure houseplant potting soil with no additives. If you do want to take things to the next level, you can add some perlite and/or peat moss, although this is really not a must. 

Most houseplant enthusiasts like to place their wandering Jew in a hanging planter so they can enjoy the look of the leaves cascading down. This is not a must, though. You can also emphasize the species’ creeping growth habit by filling up a large, shallow planter, growing it in a terrarium, or even keeping it in water on a semi-permanent basis.

Recommended products for wandering Jew plant care:

• FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
• Espoma Organic Potting Mix
• Perfect Plants Organic Perlite

Fertilizing

Like most other houseplants, Tradescantia zebrina appreciates a bit of fertilizer during the growing season, which extends from spring to early fall. You can use a normal houseplant fertilizer according to the instructions on the bottle.

Don’t fertilize during the winter months unless your plant is growing well. It doesn’t need extra nutrients if it’s inactive.

Recommended fertilizers for wandering Jew plants:

• Houseplant Resource Center Liquid Fertilizer for Houseplants
• Instant Biologics Instant Plant Food (Fizzing Nutrient Tablets)
• Maxsea All-Purpose Seaweed Plant Food

Pruning 

There’s a good chance you’ll have to prune your Tradescantia zebrina regularly, because as I mentioned, this is a very quick grower. It also roots very easily, so any trimmings can be replanted! I’ll describe how to do this in the section on propagation below.

Aside from stem trimming, you can remove any dead leaves, which are bound to pop up from time to time in very dense plants like this species.

Dividing or repotting

Inch plants don’t grow by producing plantlets at their base like many other houseplants (such as spider plants ) do. Instead, inch plants spread by rooting along the stems.

This means that division is not really the way to go; keeping these plants manageable is usually done through pruning. You can shape your plant by pinching off any long, leggy stems to create a fuller appearance and control its spread.

You’ll notice that Tradescantia really doesn’t mind being a bit cramped in its planter. Still, it’s a good idea to provide your plant with some fresh soil every year or two by repotting it.

Propagating an inch plant

If you’ve never propagated a houseplant before, this is truly one of the best species to start with. It’s known for rooting extremely quickly in both water and soil, meaning it’s easy to fill endless planters to keep or give away.

All you need to propagate your Tradescantia zebrina is a pair of clean scissors. Here’s how you do it:

• Snip the ends off existing branches. An inch or two with a few leaves works best.
• Remove the leaves at the bottom so part of the stem is exposed.
• Place the cutting in a glass of water to root or plant it directly in soil. You can put cuttings back in the mother plant’s pot to give her a fuller appearance on top.
• It can take a little longer during the winter months, but the first roots should appear within a week or so. You can give soil cuttings a slight tug to verify they’ve rooted.
• Once the first signs of new foliage appear, you’ll know your propagation attempt has been a success! 
• If you propagated in water, you can leave the rooted cuttings in water almost indefinitely, although you can also pot them up in fresh soil.

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 creeping growth habit means they naturally grow leggy over time, especially in containers.

However, you can mimic a fuller appearance by strategically pinching off any long, spindly stems to shape the plant more. These stems can also be replanted near the mother plant.

As the baby plants grow, they’ll help fill in sparse areas and create the illusion of a bushy wandering Jew.

How long do wandering Jew plants live?

Wandering Jew plants have a limited lifespan of just a few years, and as a potted plant, you’ll notice your wandering Jew becoming very leggy after just two to three years.

Unlike other fast-growing plants that benefit from pruning, cutting back a wandering Jew doesn’t work well to renew its growth; it simply controls the spread.

The best way to keep your plant coming back year after year is to propagate new plants from stem cuttings, which—fortunately—is super easy with a high success rate.

Is wandering Jew perennial?

Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) is a trailing evergreen perennial in its native habitat (USDA hardiness zones 9 through 12). Where it’s not winter hardy, wandering Jew is grown year-round as a houseplant.

Are wandering Jew plants toxic to cats and dogs?

Wandering Jew is not considered outright toxic, but it can cause some skin irritation. If your pet gets into your plant, don’t worry too much, although it can be a good idea to have a look in its mouth to make sure there’s no excessive swelling. Be sure to offer water. To prevent skin rash, it can be a good idea to wear gloves if you need to handle your wandering Jew plant. This especially applies if you have sensitive skin.

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/110354

Racism in Taxonomy: What’s in a Name?

Chiba de Castro, W. A., Xavier, R. O., Garrido, F. H., Romero, J. H., Peres, C. K., & da Luz, R. C. (2019). Fraying around the edges: negative effects of the invasive Tradescantia zebrina Hort. ex Bosse (Commelinaceae) on tree regeneration in the Atlantic Forest under different competitive and environmental conditions. Journal of Plant Ecology, 12(4), 713-721.

Encke, F. (1964). Pflanzen fur Zimmer und Balkon; Auswahl, Pflege, Vermehrung.

I'm a plant lover, passionate road-tripper, and cookbook author whose expert advice and bestselling books have been featured in Time, Outside, HGTV, and Food & Wine. The National Parks Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is... Read more »

We bought a full grown Bolivian Jewel mid summer last year. It was in a 14” raised pot and flowing 2 foot over the sides. It was beautiful next to our fountain outside. We live in Minnesota so we had to discard it in the late fall since we had no place to care for it in the house. Since we can’t find another like it we’d like to plant one from scratch but how. We still have the pot and riser but have no idea how to start from that. One plant, a few or just how many to make a bushy over grown plant so it looks like the one we purchased last year. Does this make sense or should we just forget it since it is already the middle of May. The greenhouse that we bought it from last summer doesn’t have any this year, just small ones in 4” pots. Thanks

If you can only grow it as an annual (and won’t be overwintering it indoors), you can plant a few smaller ones together to make them look fuller as they grow.

It seems counterproductive to talk about the problematic origin of the name wandering Jew, recommend multiple alternative names (including scientific), but then continue to call it wandering Jew in the rest of the article. If the name is anti-Semitic just set a good example and use a different name.

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Tradescantia Pallida Care – Purple Heart or Wandering Jew

By: Author Raffaele Di Lallo

Posted on Last updated: April 30, 2024

Categories Trailing Indoor Plants , Houseplants

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links .

In my experience, this is one of the most gratifying houseplants, that also doubles as a WONDERFUL plant for your summer garden. There are many characteristics why Tradescantia pallida, also known as Purple Heart Plant or Wandering Jew, makes a spectacular plant:

• It grows very quickly.
• The purple color of the leaves is almost unmatched!
• It is extraordinarily easy to propagate and will save you a lot of money if you propagate your indoor plant and use for your outdoor pots.
• It is a very versatile plant that can be grown indoors and outdoors.

Table of Contents

Purple Heart Lost Its Purple Color?

Did your Tradescantia pallida purpurea, or purple heart plant, lose its purple color and you want it back? After all, it is supposed to be purple right? It’s in the name!

The answer for this is simple… LIGHT!

Whether you purchased this plant in the houseplant section of a nursery, or in the summer annual section of the nursery, chances are it was purple. Very purple!

Then you brought the plant indoors and it slowly lost its purple color and turned to a boring shade of green.

This would especially be the case during the winter time. Not fair right?! It’s not called Green Heart…it’s called Purple Heart.

Don’t despair though. Keep reading and I will teach you everything I know about this plant from my personal experience.

Light Requirements

Tradescantia pallida plants like full sun. In fact, they demand it in order for them to retain their stunning purple color.

If your plants have turned much less purple, or even changed to a green color, you can easily get your purple color back by placing it into direct sun.

So if you are growing these plants indoors, move it to the sunniest window that you can.

If your plant has been growing in a pretty dark area and you suddenly move it to a super-sunny window, you may want to make the move a little more gradual so that your plant does not burn.

Anytime you are increasing light levels drastically, always do it gradually. Especially if your plant has been indoors all winter and you want to place it outdoors.

Place it in full shade first for a few days, and then give it an hour or two of direct sun for while, and increase from there.

Be sure to go back and read my blog post about how I transition plants to go outdoors safely .

Indications Your Plant is Not Getting Enough Light

There are a few indications that your Tradescantia pallida is not receiving enough light:

• The leaves used to be purple but then turned green
• The growth seems weaker
• The leaves and stems may be thinner

There is nothing unusual about water requirements for this plant. I just give these plants my “standard” approach to watering.

When grown indoors, I wait until the top inch or so of the soil becomes dry, and then I will give it a thorough watering. Simple. This is a good approach for most plants.

Don’t ever let these completely dry out though, otherwise the plants will quickly suffer. Conversely, don’t let them sit in water for any period of time. Check on your plants regularly!

If you have these plants outdoors, the frequency at which you water will be very different. Depending on the temperatures and light levels, you may need to water them either daily or every other day. It all depends!

If the surface of the soil feels dry, it is time to water. If it is still damp or a little moist, then hold off another day and check again later.

Tradescantia Pallida: Indoors vs. Outdoors

Unless you have a super sunny window indoors, these plants will not reach their full glory. But you can EASILY winter them over indoors and then take cuttings to propagate new plants for your summer outdoor garden!

Like I mentioned earlier, if you’ve had a pot of Tradescantia pallida growing outdoors, and you bring it indoors to continue growing throughout the winter, you will notice that the leaves will most likely lose their beautiful purple color. They will turn mostly, or completely, green.

In addition to the color changing, you will also notice weaker, lankier growth when plants are grown indoors.

However, if you have the room, you can easily propagate these plants for beautiful summer pots outdoors! Keep reading to see how I do it.

Purple Heart Propagation

First off, let me start off by saying that you shouldn’t be scared of hacking your plant up when you propagate! So many people are scared to cut anything off of a plant.

This is one of the easiest plants that you can propagate. It’s literally as simple as making some cuttings and throwing them in water.

Take a look at these cuttings that I made from a plant that I used to have outdoors, but then moved it indoors to grow over the winter.

You can see that the leaves turned completely green indoors due to darker conditions indoors during the winter.

I took cuttings in late winter, rooted them, and then made a separate pot with the cuttings.

Simply take some stem cuttings, strip the lower part of the stem of any leaves, and place them in a vase or jar with water. They should quickly root.

Be sure to change your water about once a week at least to keep it fresh. Try not to have any leaves submerged underwater because they will spoil the water and encourage rotting.

There are two benefits to doing this. The original plant will grow back stronger, and you will have created a brand new plant (or two…or three) with your cuttings!

When taking cuttings from your original plant, don’t cut all the stems off. Be sure to leave some leaves. Although it will look unsightly for a bit, it will grow back stronger and bushier, especially when you move the plants outdoors.

When you have some roots on your cuttings, you can either take all the cuttings and plant them in one pot if you’d like a bushy specimen, or you can create as many pots as you’d like. Have some fun!

Since I plant an obscene number of pots outdoors in the summer, I normally make my own soil blend in order to save money.

When I don’t have my own blend on hand, especially before I’m able to get outside before the weather is nice, I typically use Miracle-Gro potting mix .

I achieve great results with using Miracle-Gro potting mixes. In addition to being a great potting mix, they are also environmentally conscious.

I also found out from speaking with a nursery owner that to make the Miracle Gro potting mixes, they actually take food scraps from grocery stores, compost them down, and use it to make their potting mix.

It’s a great potting mix for your plants, in addition to being a very environmentally beneficial choice! The more we can minimize material going into landfills, the better!

Take a look at how beautiful the propagated cuttings looked after just a few short months outdoors.

Transitioning Tradescantia Outdoors

To really achieve the true beauty of this plant, you should move it outdoors during the warm summer months. The plant really won’t achieve it’s prime beauty indoors unless you have a location with a lot of direct sun!

Wait until the evenings are minimum 50F, and then you can place your Tradescantia pallida outdoors.

Start out FIRST by placing the plant in FULL shade.

Although these plants like sun, if they have been indoors all winter, the growth will be weak and the plants will burn very quickly if you suddenly place them in a lot of direct sun outdoors right away.

Leave the plant in full shade for a few days. Even a week. You can’t really go too slow, but if you rush the process, you will burn your plant.

Then move your plant to a location that gets an hour or two or direct sun. Preferably morning sun. Leave it in that location for another week or so.

You should start to notice your leaves turning more and more purple by this point. Then you can gradually increase the sun exposure more if you’d like.

The moral of the story is to do it slowly. This process that I’ve described is referred to as hardening off a plant. You must ALWAYS harden off a plant when moving it from indoors to outdoors. Even for plants that are sun-loving.

Plants grow much weaker indoors due to many factors including much lower light levels, poor air circulation, and other factors. So you must take some care to harden off your plants.

After your plant looks like it is taking off and is fully adjusted to being outdoors, be sure that you start a regular fertilization schedule. For foliage plants, I love using Miracle-Gro fertilizer .

To achieve maximum growth and beauty, you really need to fertilize your outdoor plants. It will make the difference between a mediocre plant and an exceptional specimen.

Have you grown Tradescantia pallida before? Share your experiences in the comments!

Related Posts:

Tuesday 23rd of April 2024

I use Purple Heart as my hanging baskets on my porch. Once I moved them into the Weekender pot, large self-watering, they’ve been much happier. I over winter indoors. When I take them outside I give them a cut and propagate to plant in the landscape. When I bring them in I give a cut and propagate overwinter in buckets. They are ready for the landscape in spring. They’re color is a welcome addition everywhere.

Raffaele Di Lallo

Friday 26th of April 2024

Hi Audrey! Sounds like a lovely specimen plant, and they sure do add beautiful color to the landscape!

Sunday 24th of July 2022

Hello, I have had my wandering Jew on my porch that gets direct sunlight all morning, into the afternoon…I had recently repotted them into terra cotta pots, then one of them started turning green and very willty and stringy looking, but the other one was still very purple and now it’s turning green…I only water it when the top soil is dry and it drains well…don’t know what else to do

Hi Amber, just be careful with the terra cotta pots as they will dry out much more quickly. It could be that you didn't water your plant sufficiently when you repotted. Be sure to give your plant a really good soaking. Sometimes, when using new potting mix, it can be really dry and you have to work at it to moisten it sufficiently. Just a couple things to think about. Make sure you do keep giving them enough sun (at least half a day).

Sunday 21st of November 2021

Please note that purple heart/lady/queen is a COMPLETELY other plant than wandering Jew!

Looks wise oyster plant is only one I can see confused as wandering Jew!

Monday 22nd of November 2021

I included this because it is sometimes called that by some (but it's exactly the reason why I dislike common names because they can often mean different things to different people :-). I always encourage people to use botanical names.

Sunday 1st of August 2021

When I move the plant outdoors, will the existing green leaves turn purple again? Or only the new growth will be purple?

Tuesday 3rd of August 2021

Hi Jay! Yes, the existing leaves will turn purple as well :-) Just be careful to acclimate your plant slowly when moving it from indoors to outdoors. Put it in the shade first for a few days and then gradually move to sun (but do it slowly) otherwise your plant will burn. Good luck!

Sondra Kay Cannon

Sunday 15th of November 2020

This plant is very invasive. Be careful or it will take over your planting bed.

Monday 16th of November 2020

I haven't had any issues in my climate. I've planted them for years, but only in my pots and not in the ground.

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8 Types of Wandering Jew Plants+Care Tips

2-Minute Read

When it comes to versatility, there’s none like the adaptable wandering jews check all different types of wandering jew plants in this detailed article.

Wandering Jew Plant comprises various species in the Tradescantia genus. As the plant is adaptable to both indoor and outdoor conditions, it doesn’t matter if you are planning to have it as ground cover, in hanging baskets, or in containers; it’ll do equally well! Also, d o you know you can grow wandering jew in the complete shade, as well as in full sunlight? In full sun, it looks more colorful. Whereas, shade gives its leaves a greenish hue. Here are the Types of Wandering Jew Plants you should consider growing!

Have a look at the plants you can start with just one cutting and a glass of water here

1. tradescantia fluminensis.

It’s a popular indoor houseplant, which is also used as ground cover. Its white flowers are triangular and formed by three petals and look glorious attached to fleshy stems with oval-shaped leaves that are glossy and deep green.

Check out our article on colorful houseplants here !  

2. tradescantia zebrina.

The variegated leaves resemble the stripes of the zebra, hence the name! The purplish-green foliage has a silver outer edge and white stripes running down lengthwise. It grows low to a height of 6-12 inches, and that’s why it can be grown as ground cover. It is one of the best types of wandering jew plants on the list.

3. Tradescantia pallida

It also goes by the name “Purple Heart” and is native to Mexico. Deep purple foliage, adorned with light purplish-pink flowers, looks marvelous and is the reason that it’s one of the most popular types of wandering jew plants! Apart from growing it as a striking ground cover, you can also have it in hanging baskets.

To know about more purple houseplants, click here !  

4. tradescantia blossfeldiana.

Commonly known as the ‘Inch plant,’ it’s also referred to as Tradescantia cerinthoidebs . The thick green leaves have a fuzzy texture and a purple hue on the underside. You can easily propagate it from the cuttings, both in soil and water, once it gets growing. It bears delightful clusters of blue, purple, white, or rose pink flowers, making it one of the best types of wandering jew plants on the list.

5. Tradescantia Sillamontana

If precise geometric patterns are your thing, then you’ll love it because of its foliage. Growing from a thick succulent stem, the leaves are around two inches long and covered entirely in white hair. Magneta flower protrudes from the terminal end of the stem in summers.

6. Tradescantia spathacea

Known as Moses-in-a-basket, Oyster plant, or Boat lily, it is a sub-succulent herb from southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It grows in 6-12 inches long rosette and sword-like, narrow, and spiral-shaped dark green leaves, with purple bottom sides. The white flowers are enclosed with boat-like purple bracts, hence the name.

7. Tradescantia virginiana

Commonly known as the spider lily, it is a herbaceous perennial from the Commelinaceae family. The plant produces violet-purple to blue, three-petaled flowers, with yellow stamens and dark green arching leaves. You can grow this one of the most popular types of wandering jew plants under full to partial shade.

8. Tradescantia longipes

Adorn your garden by growing beautiful, purple-blue flowers of tradescantia longipes or spiderwort. It is native to Southern Missouri and northern Arkansas from the family Commelinaceae. Grow these three-petaled flowers for rock or naturalize gardens, in partial shade, by using well-drained, moist, acidic soil, making it one of the most popular types of wandering jew plants on the list!

Check out our article on indoor rock garden ideas here ! 

Wandering jew plant care tips.

• Grow a wandering jew plant in bright, indirect light or expose it to full sun, which it won’t mind either. Just keep in mind that low light can fade the markings on leaves.
• Water the plant directly around the roots, avoiding the crown, as it can result in rot.
• The plant prefers slightly moist soil, so maintain the right watering schedule.
• Use an all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer, once a month, during the growing period.

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dO YOU NEED TO BRING A POTTED PLANT INDOORS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS?

Depends on the plant and where you live. Do research on the specific plant.

Sooooo number 4…. Is not a blossefeldiana. It’s a flumensis. …. You posted a tri-color-mundula variegata……. Not a nanouk. A nanouk is a blossefeldiana centerthoides

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10 Major Varieties of Wandering Jew (With Pictures)

Tradescantia  is a creeping, succulent, multi-branching perennial herb that can form a dense ground cover and root freely at nodes. Alternate, lanceolate shaped leaves have parallel veins that are either green or tinged with purple. Leaves are also somewhat pubescent. Leaf blades arise from short, closed sheaths and are 2 inches long and 0.75 inches wide. Some are glabrous or have ciliate margins. Flowers are white, in small clusters at stem tips. Fruits are small, 3-parted capsules containing black, pitted seeds.

Tradescantia  will invade disturbed areas, natural forests, riparian zones, urban areas, hammocks, and wetlands. The growth habit of wandering Jew is such that it will form a dense groundcover and smother the native groundcover and seedlings. Once established,  Tradescantia  is difficult to control.

Plants in the genus Tradescantia have until recently been commonly known as ‘Wandering Jew’. This name is no longer used by the horticultural world due to its historical use in supporting antisemitic stereotypes.

Tradescantia palladia

Tradescantia flumenisis, tradescantia zebrina.

• Tradescantia blossfeldiana

Tradescantia spathacea

Tradescantia virginiana.

• Tradescantia Sillamontana

Tradescantia longipes

• Tradescantia navicularis

Tradescantia Nanouk

• Tradescantia hirsuticaulis

Tradescantia subaspera

Tradescantia ohiensis.

Tradescantia pallida  ‘Purple Heart’ is a tender perennial commonly used as a houseplant or an annual. Dark purple, lance-shaped leaves up to 7” long are produced alternately on fleshy stems. The fleshy leaves are covered with pale hairs and form a sheath around the stem. The stems are quite fragile, and break off easily if brushed or kicked too hard. In colder areas it will die back to the ground in winter, but comes back from the roots in spring. The rambling plants get about a foot high but can spread much wider. From midsummer through fall, and sporadically at other times, relatively inconspicuous pink or pale purple flowers with bright yellow stamens are produced at the ends of the stems.

Tradescantia flumenisis is trailing perennial with succulent stems, rooting readily at nodes. Forms a carpet up to 50cm thick. Alternate leaves 3-6 cm long, ovate-elliptic, shining and loosely clasping the stem. Leaves are typically dark green, but can have longitudinal stripes and/or purplish bases, these forms typically revert to green. The flowers are in clusters, are star-shaped and have 3 delicate white petals that are 10mm long.

Also Read: Different Types of Ground Covers

Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula, is a species of creeping plant in the Tradescantia genus. This creeping plant makes a good groundcover 6-12” high. It has succulent stems with ovate to lanceolate leaves clasping the stem. The upper leaf surface is green to purple with two wide, silvery-white stripes, while the lower leaf surface is a uniform deep magenta. If you look closely you can see the fine hairs along the leaf margins and may note that the surfaces seem to sparkle in bright light. In low light conditions, stems lose lower leaves and the leaves lose much of their coloring. The stems will branch or root at the nodes and ascend at the flowering tips. The stems break easily at the nodes.

Tradescantia Blossfeldiana

Tradescantia Blossfeldiana is an evergreen, clump-forming perennial. It has a short stem that bears a rosette of fleshy, lance-shaped glossy green leaves with purple undersides. Flowers have 3 triangular petals, and are blue, purple, rose-pink or white.It can grow in a range of soil and pH conditions, however, prefers well-drained acidic, loamy soils.  Pinching the tips back will promote a more bushy habit.  It can take on a trailing habit if the tips are not pinched. This wandering Jew species can be found in moist prairies, fertile woodlands, open woods, meadows, hillsides, stony bluffs, stream banks, and along roadsides. 

Tradescantia spathacea, the oyster plant, boatlily or Moses-in-the-cradle is a clump-forming evergreen widely cultivated in tropical areas because of its attractive foliage. It typically grows as a 6-12 feet tall with rosette consisting of narrow, spirally arranged, linear-lanceolate, stiffly-ascending, sword-shaped, dark green leaves with purple undersides. This Plant spreads to form a dense ground cover over time. White flowers in axillary cymes are enclosed by long-lasting, boat-shaped, purple bracts, hence the common name of Moses-in-a-basket. Flowers bloom throughout the year. Flowers are followed by fruit. This plant is easily grown indoors in pots or containers.

Also Read: Different Types of Pothos

Tradescantia Virginians plant is up to 2½ feet tall and unbranched, except for 1 or 2 small side stems near the inflorescence. The central stem is round and glabrous, although scattered long hairs may occur where the leaves wrap around the stems, or a little below. The leaves are dark green or olive green, up to 12 inch long and 1 inch across, with parallel venation and smooth margins. They are linear to broadly linear, but wider at the base and narrowing to a pointed tip. In spring the 3-petaled flowers appear and last for a day but new ones are produced daily in terminal clusters. Flower colors range from blue to purple to pink. Once they have finished blooming cut back the stems. The foliage may die back in the heat of the summer but returns in late summer to fall and often reblooms. The plants spread by underground stolons forming clumps and grow 2-3 feet tall by 1 foot wide.

Tradescantia sillamontana

Tradescantia sillamontana commonly known by the names Cobweb Spiderwort and White Velvet is a low-growing plant with an upright habit. It grows between 12 and 18 inches in height. The leaves are a dull olive to gray-green color, sometimes blushed purple but the leaves and new stems are so heavily covered with cobwebby silver-white hairs that the plant appears quite silver. In summer appear the single magenta flowers with three petals that are crowded into the terminal leaf axils. It makes a wonderful garden plant as an accent, small scale groundcover or a container specimen and is compatible with succulents and other dry growing plants and with a little shade is also a pretty interesting hanging basket plant.

Tradescantia longipes, commonly known as the  wild crocus , is a spring blooming species. This tradescantia can be trailing or tufted perennials with usually fleshy, evergreen foliage and distinctive, 3-petalled flowers, often pink-or purple-tinged.The plant typically prefers habitat of wooded slopes on rocky hillsides. While most other members of the genus Tradescantia have stems reaching at least a few inches above the soil, the flowering shoots of Tradescantia longipes are borne essentially at ground level.

Also Read: Different Types of Cosmos Flowers

Tradescantia Nanouk, also known as Fantasy Venice, is a newer cultivar that was created by cross-pollinating seedlings from tradescantia albiflora. This designer plant was created in a lab in 2012 in the Netherlands. Those who developed it hoped to create a tradescantia variety that was more compact, with beautiful flowers, and—of course—the stunning variegated colors. The tradescantia nanouk is known for this gorgeous variegation. The foliage on the plants are a mix of light green, light purple, and cream. The purple is much more of a purple than the pinkish color on the leaves of the fluminensis tricolour and callisia repens. While it’s the new it’s not a difficult plant. In fact, it’s one of the easiest houseplants to care for, which makes it a great choice for beginners.

Tradescantia ohiensis  is a clump-forming spiderwort with purple to rose-blue, 3-petaled flowers. It can be found growing in meadows, along roads and woodland margins. Each flower blooms for a single day, typically opening in the morning. Its grass-like leaves are long with a lengthwise fold or groove. It can be grown in shade, however, the blooms will not be as profuse as when placed in full sun.  Will also grow in a variety of soils, but will be at its best when located in moist, sandy soil.

Tradescantia subaspera can be a perennial herb, houseplant or interiorscape plant.  The leaves are alternate and clasp at the base.  They are simple, long and grass-like. Secondary stems and leaves can occasionally develop from the axils of the primary leaves.  The fuzzy leaves have prominent parallel veins, looking similar to the leaf of a corn stalk. Growing in the wild, its natural habitats include deciduous woodlands and borders, along ravines, bases of bluffs and along shady streams. Its common name, Zigzag Spiderwort, come from the appearance of its stem. The stem makes slight direction changes at the leaf nodes in the half of the plant.  Wideleaf Spiderwort has wider leaves than most of those in this species.

Further References

• Facts About Wandering Jew: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_Jew
• Growing Inch Plant: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/wandering-jew/growing-wandering-jew-plants.htm
• Wandering Jew : https://www.britannica.com/topic/wandering-Jew

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A Complete Guide to Wandering Jew Plant Care

Last Updated: May 28, 2024 Fact Checked

• Potting Your Plant
• Caring for Your Plant

Preventing Pests & Disease

Expert q&a, things you'll need.

This article was co-authored by Chai Saechao and by wikiHow staff writer, Dev Murphy, MA . Chai Saechao is the Founder and Owner of Plant Therapy, an indoor-plant store founded in 2018 based in San Francisco, California. As a self-described plant doctor, he believes in the therapeutic power of plants, hoping to keep sharing his love of plants with anyone willing to listen and learn. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 644,172 times.

Wandering Jews are beautiful vining plants known for their solid or variegated leaves. These hardy perennials thrive outdoors as groundcover or in pots that allow their tendrils to cascade. They’re relatively easy to care for and incredibly simple to propagate, making them great houseplants! Keep reading for an easy step-by-step guide to Wandering Jew maintenance, from planting to watering to pruning.

Things You Should Know

• Keep your Wandering Jew in a warm spot (around 50–80 °F (10–27 °C)) with lots of bright, indirect sunlight.
• Pot your plant in well-draining potting soil in a container with drainage holes. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet.
• Pinch or prune the leaves when the plant gets leggy to promote bushiness, or when any leaves or vines begin to brown or rot.

Potting Your Wandering Jew Plant

• Refer to this map to see if your area's temperatures are warm enough to support a Wandering Jew plant, if you're planning on keeping it outside. According to the USDA, the Wandering Jew plant grows best in zones 9-11.
• If you don’t live in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, keep in mind that you may not be able to keep your plant outside during the winter. You may want to grow it inside instead.

• If you use a hanging basket, remember to turn it daily so it gets equal amounts of sunlight.
• If you’re hanging your plant, choose a lightweight or plastic pot so it won’t fall. This also makes it easier to move inside in case of frost.

• Be careful not to use soil that’s too heavy, as Wandering Jews need light soil that drains well. [3] X Research source
• Buy well-draining soil, or, if you already have heavier soil, mix equal parts soil with compost, or equal parts soil, compost, and peat.
• Purchase a Wandering Jew plant at a gardening or home improvement center, or propagate cuttings from established plants . Wandering Jew cuttings grow very quickly.

Watering, Fertilizing & Pruning Your Plant

• If you’re growing your plant indoors, an eastern facing windowsill is a good spot. The plant will receive bright indirect light throughout the day, but watch to make sure the space doesn't become too hot in the afternoon. If so, move the pot a few feet away or use a curtain to filter the light. [5] X Research source
• If the plant primarily remains outside, find a spot that receives indirect sunlight. This could be on a porch that gets morning sun for several hours. Just make sure that it's not sitting in direct sunlight without any shade for most of the day.

• If you've set your pot on a saucer, empty the saucer when it fills.
• The plant's growth will slow in the winter months, meaning it needs to be watered less often. Simply let it remain a little dry for a bit longer before watering.
• Some people find it convenient to put self-watering aqua globes in their plant pots; however, these glass globes require cleaning and regular filling. You'll still need to monitor your plant's moisture if you choose to use them.

• Read the container's instructions carefully before fertilizing, as some liquid fertilizers may actually be powders requiring you to mix in water.

• The best time to prune is during the spring and summer months, when the plant is putting on the most growth. After you've pruned, give the plant a chance to put on new shoots and fill in.
• If you find your plant is too dense and bushy, you'll need to prune around the base so that the plant can get adequate circulation and sunlight.

• Generally, expect to repot your plant annually, but keep an eye out for signs your plant has outgrown its container within that time frame: once you see roots creeping out from under the plant through the drainage holes, or popping up through the soil, it’s time to repot. [10] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source

• Try to use distilled or bottled water when misting the leaves for the best results.
• Brown leaves can also be a sign that your plant is getting too much sunlight. In this case, make sure your plant is not directly in the sun by moving the pot or placing a filter, such as a curtain, in between the plant and the window.

• Root rot can spread very quickly, so act fast when you see signs of it. It can be heartbreaking to cut away a large chunk of your plant, but if you wait too long, you could lose the whole plant. [14] X Research source
• Other signs of root rot include spongy, black roots.

• Though "Wandering Jew" is the most common name for this plant, some people may find this term offensive. Consider using "wandering dude" or "inch plant" instead. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
• "Wandering Jew" doesn't refer to just one plant: it refers to a variety of Tradescantia species, the 3 most common of which include Tradescantia fluminensis ("Quicksilver"), Tradescantia pallida ("Purple Heart"), and Tradescantia zebrina ("Tricolor"). Care is the same for all 3. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

• Be careful when pinching or pruning your plant. Wandering Jew sap can cause skin irritation in some people and allergic reactions in dogs. To be safe, wear gardening gloves when pruning your Wandering Jew. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Wandering Jew cuttings or a plant
• Well-draining potting soil
• Pot or hanging basket
• 10-10-10- fertilizer
• Aqua globes (optional)
• Pruning shears (optional)
• Gardening gloves

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://houseplantcentral.com/tradescantia-zebrina-care-info/
• ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/inch-plants
• ↑ https://getbusygardening.com/wandering-jew-plant-care/
• ↑ https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/indirect-light-plants-18005506.php
• ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/wandering-jew
• ↑ https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/use-101010-fertilizer-garden-18057536.php
• ↑ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/wandering-jew/growing-wandering-jew-plants.htm
• ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/repotting-houseplants
• ↑ https://www.houseplantsforyou.com/wandering-jew/
• ↑ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/treating-root-rot-gardening-tips-for-housplants.htm
• ↑ https://www.wildinteriors.com/blog/2019/10/30/treating-root-rot-and-soft-rot-in-houseplants
• ↑ https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/wandering-jew-plants-dangerous-dogs-18063157.php

About This Article

To take care of your Wandering Jew plant, place it by an east-facing window so that it gets a combination of direct and indirect sunlight. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked, and water the soil instead of the top of the plant to avoid rot. You should also fertilize the Wandering Jew plant every two weeks with a liquid 10-10-10 fertilizer. To keep the plant from getting leggy, trim back the stems in the spring and summer. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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7 Purple House Plants For A Pop Of Color

H ey mommas, are you looking for indoor plants that can add some color to your home? Purple house plants might be the way to go. These gorgeous plants bring more than a pop of color into an indoor space, and they also have several benefits!

Keep reading to explore some of the most beautiful purple house plants that you can have in your home, their benefits, and how to take care of them properly. I have a couple of them at home, and they’re worth caring for!

Why Choose Purple House Plants?

Improves air quality.

Indoor plants, in general, have numerous benefits other than just appearance. For one, they help improve your indoor air quality . These plants aid in removing harmful toxins in the air, including formaldehyde and benzene.

Provides Gorgeous Color

Fun and unconventional, purple leaves on plants add a touch of contrast to the colors of your home, making it feel livelier and more vibrant. If you’re looking for purple house plants, you’ll be glad to know that you can find them in all shapes, shades, and sizes.

Fancy a dark purple or maybe a lavender one? Want a low-maintenance plant or something more of a challenge to grow? You can easily find a purple indoor plant that suits your style and needs. You can even find unique-looking purple plants, such as ones with purple undersides and stems. 

Creating a Relaxing Atmosphere

Having indoor plants with purple leaves at home can help create a calm and relaxed environment. Their gorgeous color is believed to promote calmness and relaxation. On top of that, just adding plants into a room can help lower noise levels . Therefore, they can help create a more serene atmosphere right in your home. 

7 Best Purple House Plants

From dark purple leaves to flowering plants, you can choose from many purple plants that can be added to a room. Here are some of my favorite purple house plants that you can check out!

Purple Passion Plant

Also known as Gyanyura aurantiaca, this striking purple plant is not only pretty, it’s also low maintenance . What makes it an incredible addition to any home is its unique appearance. This interesting plant has green and purple leaves, with the top being a deep green while the underside is a bright color purple.

Its unique leaf coloring is also complemented by its velvet-like texture. On top of this, its purple stems are as striking as its leaves. If you want to take care of this beautiful purple house plant, do note that it thrives in high humidity. It also loves bright but indirect sunlight. 

Purple Heart Plant

Looking for a plant to grow at home? Check out the purple heart plant, a.k.a. Setcreasea pallida or Tradescantia pallida. This houseplant is loved by many for its small deep purple leaves. You’ll adore its cute pink-to-light-purple flowers.

If you’re hunting for a hearty and durable purple plant, you should check this one out. You can keep this plant and easily help it thrive in many different conditions. To keep this plant healthy, place it under bright, indirect sunlight. While it’s commonly placed in containers, it also does well as a hanging plant. 

Purple Waffle Plant

Another popular houseplant that has a purple color is Hemigraphis exotica, also known as the waffle plant. This unique plant’s main draw is its textured foliage resembling waffles. Its leaves have a light purple hue and work well if you want to add both texture and color to a room. 

Help it thrive by imitating humid conditions. Also, remember to water it regularly and place it under bright but indirect light. 

Purple Pearl Succulent

Echeveria, more commonly known as purple pearl is one of the most popular succulents that you can keep at home. This little plant, grows only 6 to 8 inches and features beautiful purple leaves. It produces purple flowers that look incredible with its foliage. 

If you want to add this purple succulent to your home collection, do know that it loves bright indoor lights. Alternatively, you can also put it under low natural light. Also, remember that this small house plant will need well-draining soil. 

Persian Shield Plant

Also called Strobilanthes dyerianus, the Persian Shield plant is an interesting specimen to add to your room. This plant is native to Myanmar and is easily recognizable thanks to its stunning purple leaves.

Looking after this plant is a breeze. Since this is a tropical plant , it thrives in warm and humid environments. 

Purple Shamrock

Add interest to any indoor space with the Purple Shamrock plant, also known as the Oxalis triangularis. This stunning indoor plant is a beautiful option for any home, thanks to its purple foliage and delicate pink or white flowers. This plant is easy to care for and does best in bright, indirect sunlight.

Wandering Jew Plant

Another eye-catching purple stunner grown as houseplants is the Wandering Jew plant or Tradescantia zebrina. It’s a trailing plant, so I think you’d find it works well in a hanging basket. 

The Wandering Jew thrives in full sun, so to help it grow well, make sure to place it in an area where it can get this. However, note that its vibrant purple color may fade if it gets too much sunlight.

Plant Care for Purple House Plants

Provide enough sunlight.

Many species of purple plants thrive in bright, indirect sunlight. A few of them like full sunlight, but too much and their colorful leaves may look dull.

To help your purple plants thrive, give them the right amount of sun they need. It’s best to put them by a window with access to filtered sunlight. Alternatively, you can use grow lights , especially if you’re in an area with limited sun. 

Most importantly, whether you’re using grow lights or not, make sure to look out for signs that your plant has too much or too little sun. Many of them are low-maintenance, but helping your plants thrive ensures they stay healthy and gorgeous.

Provide Enough Water and Humidity

Purple plants have specific watering needs. In a nutshell, these species love moist soil but hate being waterlogged. So, when you water your plants, make sure to do it when the top inch of the soil is already dry to the touch.

When it comes to humidity, it may depend on the area where your purple plant originally hails from. If you plan on taking care of tropical purple plants, you need to mimic the temperature and environment of the tropical region.

To help them thrive, you may want to invest in a room humidifier . Alternatively, you can do frequent mistings to mimic a humid environment. 

Tips for Growing Beautiful Purple House Plants

Choose the right soil.

When you’re taking care of any plants, choosing the correct type of soil is crucial.

In the case of purple indoor plants, many love well-draining potting soil with a lot of organic matter . As such, you should avoid heavy, clay-filled soils, which can retain too much water and cause root rot. 

Ensure Proper Drainage

Since most purple plants don’t like waterlogging, ensure your plant container or pot has enough drainage. When choosing a container, look for those with drainage holes . That will help you avoid waterlogging and root rot.

This still depends on the plant species. Most purple plants love indirect sunlight, but some thrive in full sun. 

For best results, read up on the specific plant you want to get and learn more about its lighting needs.

Because of its unique and striking appearance, many plant lovers seek house plants in many different shades of purple. Other than just being pretty and unique, purple is also said to be a calming and relaxing color to have at home.

There are times when your plants may struggle with pests and insects. If that’s the case, then the best course of action is to use pesticides, but you must use them safely.

When looking for a pesticide to use against common plant pests, such as mealybugs and spider mites, make sure to get one that’s formulated especially for indoor plants .

When using it, make sure to follow the instructions included carefully. Also, make sure to use the pesticide while wearing protective gloves and in a well-ventilated area.

Make Your Home More Vibrant With Purple House Plants

Purple is a vibrant color, and plants with this color naturally make unique and eye-catching additions to your plant collection at home. Besides their beauty, they also help keep your home’s atmosphere serene and relaxing.

These stunning plants are mostly easy to care for, and all the effort you put into helping them thrive is worth it.