Tradescantia Zebrina – Wandering Jew

Wandering Jews are one of the easiest plant to grow both indoor as well as outdoor. It has interesting variegated foliage striped green, white, and gray leaves with purple undersides.Tiny three-petaled lavender-purple flowers appear very infrequently indoors. Grows best in bright indirect sunlight, average room temperatures and moist but well-drained soil.  Reduce watering in the winter season.  It looks beautiful in hanging pots. Pinch growing tips to encourage bushiness and remove plain green foliage.

Propagation In Soil

Wandering Jews root easily by taking cuttings, from a healthy, mother plant. Use clean, sharp scissors to cut the stem just below a node, which is a small, bud like protrusion where a bud or leaf is beginning to grow. This is the point where new roots develop during the propagation process. If you don’t see a node, cut the stem just below the newest leaf. A cutting can be 4 to 6 inches. We can transfer this cutting in the soil and enjoy the beauty.

Propagation In Water

Fill a jar with lukewarm water. Remove the leaves from the lower part of the stem as leaves submerged in the water will rot the cutting. Place the cutting in the water and set the container on a sunny side of the window. Avoid harsh light as too much direct heat and light may prevent rooting. Replace water as needed to maintain the same water level. Be sure the roots are always submerged and that the leaves remain above the rim of the container. Roots usually appear in less than a month.

Caring for Wandering Jews

Light

Wandering Jew plants do best in bright but indirect sunlight. Without enough light, the variegation of the leaves begins to fade. Too much sun, can cause the leaves to burn.

Soil

This plant grows well with ordinary potting soil if it is not over-watered, but prefers well drained soil. Mixing a small amount of sand into potting soil is very ideal.

Fertilizer

The plant doesn’t require much feeding. At most, use a water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength, applied bimonthly or when the plant is producing new growth. Using a plant food high in nitrogen helps a Wandering Jew plant produce more colorful leaves. Over- fertilizing is another reason why the bright colors in the leaves start to fade and loose variegation.

Water

This plant loves moist soil but not soggy. It should be watered weekly in the summer, less frequently in the winter.

Potting and Re-potting

Wandering Jew plants do not die if they are not re-potted but they will benefit from potting up to the next larger container size once each year.

Temperature and Humidity

Any of the species of wandering Jew plant will thrive at temperatures between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius, but will also do fine in warmer temperatures. Average to higher household humidity is best. If the air is too dry, the leaf tips of a Wandering Jew plant turn brown. Place a Wandering Jew plant on a tray of wet pebbles to increase the humidity around it.

Medicinal

Wandering Jew plants, native to South America and Mexico, are commonly used in the Tabasco region of Mexico to make a cold herbal tea called Matali.