The family Commelinaceae includes 85 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers under the name Tradescantia (/trdsknti/[4]), which are indigenous to the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Numerous common names for members of the genus exist, such as inchplant, spiderwort,[6] and dayflower. [7]
Tradescantia can reach a height of 3060 cm (12 ft) and are typically found alone or in groups in woodland regions and open fields. They were brought to Europe in the 17th century as attractive plants and are now grown all over the world. In parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, as well as on some marine islands, some species have developed a natural habitat. [3]
Because of evolutionary changes in the structure and number of their chromosomes, the diverse species in the genus are of interest to cytogenetics.
They have also been utilized as bioindicators to find environmental mutagens [8].
[9] Some species are now thought to both invasive and pests to cultivated crops.
What is Tradescantia’s common name?
Despite the fact that Tradescantia also goes by the names Spiderwort and Inch Plant, “Wandering Jew” seems to be the only one that has gained traction.
With the help of several plant communities, Bloomboxclub believes it has come up with a workable solution. Due to the plant’s extreme adaptability and propensity for rapid and easy spread, its name was given.
All of these characteristics certainly apply to the “Wandering Dude”—the one who moves around despite little notice and doesn’t care where he ends up. However, if any roaming dudes take offense at the comparison, please get in touch! We think this is a better title.
A tradescantia is what sort of a plant?
A variety of spiderwort known as Tradescantia zebrina or inch plant is prized for its lovely purple and silver-striped foliage. This houseplant is ideal for someone with a green thumb who wants to learn how to live in any indoor setting. How to take care of an inch plant in your house is shown below.
About Tradescantia or Inch Plant
Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula, is a species of creeping plant in the Tradescantia genus. Its name is pronounced “trad-es-KAN-tee-uh zeb-REE-nuh.” Common names include wandering Jew and inch plant. Since the latter appellation is contentious, some people now call themselves wandering dudes instead. Variegated Spiderwort is a another name for it.
Despite being a perennial in its native Mexico, Tradescantia zebrina is treated as a houseplant in North America and is frequently cultivated in a hanging pot. In warm climates outside of their native habitats, it is regarded as an invasive species (including in parts of the southeastern U.S.). Because of this, we advise growing inch plants indoors or limiting their outdoor use to containers.
The inch plant not only has lovely leaves, but it also grows quickly and has trailing stems. The common term “inch plant” comes from the fact that the leaf nodes on the stem should be one inch apart. Tradescantia can be simply established from cuttings that root well in damp soil because each segment is capable of forming a new plant.
- Grow in a container or hanging basket with indoor all-purpose potting soil.
- Choose a spot with filtered sun. Keep inch plants away from harsh light and gloomy spaces to prevent them from growing lanky.
- The room should be at a moderate temperature (between 55 and 75F).
- Deeply water the soil, but wait until it has partially dried before adding more water. This plant dislikes being constantly wet as well as being let to dry out.
- Winter is the plant’s resting season, therefore water less during that time.
- In the spring and summer, apply fertilizer twice a month; in the fall and winter, avoid fertilizing.
- To control this trailing plant and encourage bushier foliage, pinch back the stems.
- Leggy growth that has been removed makes it possible to take cuttings for further proliferation.
- Every spring, plants can be severely clipped, and in the summer, they can be moved outside onto a covered patio.
- The gorgeous purple and green leaves of Tradescantia zebrina ‘Tricolor’ (seen at the top of this page) have dazzling silver stripes.
Do Tradescantias count as succulents?
The inch plant, often referred to as tradescantia, is a native of North and South America. There are about 60 species, the most of which are hanging plants but a few of which also grow upward. Despite not being a succulent, the stems can hold a good amount of water. Because of this, Tradescantia is quite understanding if you occasionally forget to water it. The plant was given the John Tradescant Senior name by his son John Junior, a botanist and explorer who worked as a gardener for English King Charles I. Around 1662, the plant gained popularity in European courts and was discovered to be so simple to grow that it is one of the few early houseplants that quickly emerged in “regular” living rooms as well.
A Tradescantia Leaf is what?
Tradescantia are herbaceous perennials that can grow up to 3060 centimeters (0.981.97 feet) in height. They come in both climbing and trailing varieties. The leaves range in length from 345 cm to 345 cm, are long, thin, and lanceolate (1.217.7 in). The flowers have three petals and six yellow anthers and might be white, pink, purple, or blue (or rarely, four petals and eight anthers). The sap is transparent and mucilaginous.
Many species only have one-day flowers that open in the morning and close in the evening.
[10]
Tradescantia—is it a houseplant?
The beautiful leaf of Tradescantia spathacea is green on top and purple-maroon underneath. It also goes by the titles Moses-in-the-cradle and oyster plant because of the way its tiny white blossoms are nestled in the axils of the leaves. Additionally, it goes by the name Rhoeo spathacea.
Green wandering Jew
Traditional low-maintenance houseplant Tradescantia zebrina has variegated silver and olive foliage with purple undersides. In water or where they come into contact with soil, stems rapidly take root.
Purple heart
Setcreasea purpurea is another name for Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’. It is occasionally grown outside as a groundcover. It needs good light indoors to highlight its lovely deep purple coloring. It can produce tiny, transient, vivid pink blooms.
White Velvet wandering Jew
The medium-green leaves of Tradescantia sillamontana are heavily coated with fuzzy white hairs. Summertime brings magenta-pink flowers that pop against the silvery-white foliage.
How do I store Tradescantia?
Bright indirect light is preferred by your Tradescantia above direct light. The leaves will fade from a lack of light.
When the soil is dry in the top 50 to 75 percent, water your Tradescantia. Pour water into the pot until it begins to drain through the drainage hole at the bottom, then drain any excess water into the saucer.
Your Tradescantia would thrive in your bathroom or kitchen because it prefers a little more humid climate. Feel free to often mist your plant. The leaves will begin to brown if the humidity is too low.
From spring through fall, fertilize once a month using a general-purpose indoor plant fertilizer that has been diluted to half strength. Make sure the soil is moist before adding any type of fertilizer.
Both people and pets are slightly poisoned from your tradescantia. Ingestion may irritate the stomach and mouth.
Long vines can be pruned back to promote branching and boost plant fullness. Simply “pinch” off the stem at the joint or the fragile new growth at the stem’s end to do this.
How is a Tradescantia plant cared for?
Grow Tradescantia Zebrina: Instructions
- Use a potting mix that drains effectively.
- Put it in a hanging basket to shine.
- Give it a lot of diffuse light so it can maintain its stripes.
- Avoid letting T. zebrina become overly dry in between waterings.
- Give it plant food to promote it.
- Leggy stems should be pinched back to promote new, fuller growth.
- Increase T.
How poisonous is tradescantia?
When I first started collecting plants, every garden center had this tiny purple trailing plant that went by a gazillion different names. I bought one because it was attractive and had the scientific name Tradescantia.
I went to the ASPCA toxicity website and discovered a wealth of diverse material there. Is Tradescantia harmful to animals? Is it secure? Nobody truly is aware. The plant was not regarded as safe when it was listed under the politically incorrect term “wandering jew” (which has since been formally changed to “wandering dude,” which is significantly better). Once more, I looked for “Tradescantia flumeninsis,” and this time it was secure. I eventually gave up, handed the plant to someone, and forgot about them until I recently discovered the following:
Beautiful, isn’t she? A “Tradescantia nanouk” is yet ANOTHER Tradescantia variant. And yet another where we think about toxicity. It’s annoying, isn’t it? Well, I made the decision to write a blog post about it because I, like you, needed to know what was happening.
What Exactly are Tradescantia?
First off, Tradescantia is a kind of spiderwort, a term that is familiar to most people. Spiderwort is a typical outdoor perennial trailing plant with a dull appearance. Tradescantia are all members of the Commelinaceae family. The purple and green variegated Tradescantia zebrina, often known as an inch plant, is the most prevalent plant I encounter. Yes, it’s a new name. There are dozens of different variations and color combinations of the Tradeascatia zebrina alone. Really, there are too many names. This needs to be handled by someone.
What makes names so numerous? I don’t know the answer; the question was more rhetorical.
Is Tradescantia Toxic to Cats and Dogs?
It’s a resounding yes after several Google searches, vetted talks, and triple-checking sources. Technically speaking, Tradescantia is slightly poisonous to cats and dogs of all breeds.
If you’re familiar with my site, you know that I always err on the side of caution and identify a plant as toxic if it belongs to the same family as another plant that is both toxic and nontoxic. Why risk it, you could ask? Right. This situation follows the same rule. If I am aware that Tradescantia zebrina is poisonous but flumeninsis is not, I will simply state that it is poisonous.
What sort of toxin are we referring to? a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. If ingested, as Harlequinn has done before, there is a possibility of developing dermatitis, a skin condition. Every animal is unique, but if a bored cat eats a lot of this plant, you should expect some mild pain in some form.
These plants trail, making it simple to keep them out of paw reach. To prevent pillaging, swatting, and chewing, ingenious solutions include hanging pots and employing carts or shelves. Cats have plenty of free time.
Types of Tradescantia
Here is a list of the Trescantia varieties that can be most frequently found in big-box retailers and garden centers. This is an excellent introduction list but by no means an exhaustive list.
Does tradescantia grow outdoors?
It’s possible that when individuals mention cultivating a Wandering Jew plant, they’re actually referring to one of three different plant kinds. The three different varieties of Wandering Jew are all spiderwort plants.
There are several characteristics that distinguish each kind even though they all require the same basic maintenance as the others.
- Pale tradescantia Tradescantia pallida, a plant native to Mexico sometimes known as the spider lily, is hardy to zone 10. Although it can be grown outside as an annual, it is often grown as a houseplant in a pot. The plant has trailing foliage that is dark purple and has light purple blooms.
- Zebra tradescantia Tradescantia zebrina, often known as the inch plant, has unusual leaves. Two silver stripes run up and down each leaf. It can grow up to two feet long and has a trailing, creeping behavior similar to the spider lily. Native to Mexico and Central America, the plant can withstand cold temperatures down to zone 8.
- Fluminensis tradescantia The small-leaf spiderwort, commonly known as the third Wandering Jew variation, is native to Brazil. It has invasive habits and glossy green foliage. If cultivated outside, the plant, which is hardy to zone 9, will quickly take over a section of the garden.
Where Did the Name Come From?
Why are these three spiderwort species referred to as Wandering Jew plants? Ask the Rabbi speculates that the name of the plant may simply refer to how swiftly and easily it spreads.
In the 1800s, the name “Wandering Jew” was really given to two different unrelated plants, according to Forward magazine. Those two plants, ivy-leaved toadflax and creeping rockfoil, have a propensity to spread and move across the ground, just like the Tradescantia types.
Tradescantia can it survive in water?
Tradescantias can survive in a variety of conditions and have an unrivaled determination to live. Due to their unique qualities, tradescantia make excellent candidates for aquatic growth.
You can’t just throw your mature Tradescantia in a bucket of water, which is a poor idea. Tradescantia cuttings can be grown in water as an alternative.
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What can I do to make my Tradescantia pinker?
Additionally, the Tradescantia genus contains 75 different kinds of wildflowers. The 17th-century botanist John Tradescant is credited with giving the place its name.
The term “wandering” describes how it spreads quickly and roams all over your window sill. They are quite simple to grow indoors. The majority are indigenous to South America, where they form thick mats beneath forest trees.
I put my Fittonia albivenis mosaic plant next to my Tradescantia tricolor to bring out the gorgeous pink hues. The green leaves of this trailing plant have veins that are dark pink. They work well together.