White-flowered Wandering Jew

Tradescantia fluminensis

NEMBA: Category 1b

English: White-flowered Wandering Jew, Small-leaf Spiderwort, Speedy Jenny

Afrikaans: Kleinblaar Spinnekopblom, Witblom Wandering Jew

Historical scientific names: Tradescantia albiflora

Tradescantia fluminensis, commonly known as White-flowered Wandering Jew or Small-leaf Spiderwort, is a highly invasive alien evergreen perennial. It is easily identified by its slender, trailing stems, glossy green, oval leaves, and small, three-petalled, white flowers.

This aggressive plant forms dense carpets, smothering indigenous vegetation and causing significant ecological damage, particularly in moist, shaded environments across South Africa.

White-flowered Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis)
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Origin: Native to South America, specifically southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina.

Distinguishing features:

Leaves are relatively small, oval to elliptic, shiny green, and often purplish underneath, arranged alternately.
Stems are slender, fleshy, trailing, and root readily at nodes.
Small, delicate, three-petalled, white flowers.
Forms extremely dense, sprawling mats, outcompeting native groundcovers.
Prefers moist, shaded conditions.

Overall appearance:

The White-flowered Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) is a quick-growing, mat-forming plant with delicate features that can hide its invasive nature. It’s recognised by its long, thin, trailing stems adorned with small, glossy green leaves, which often have a subtle purplish tint on their undersides. In the right conditions, it can produce tiny, pure white, three-petalled flowers, adding a touch of brightness to its verdant carpet.

Height:

Typically grows 10 to 20 centimetres tall as a groundcover, but its stems spread widely.

Width:

Forms a dense, spreading groundcover, capable of covering many square metres as its stems trail and root.

Leaves:

The leaves are alternate, small, oval to elliptic, glossy green above, and often purplish beneath. They are typically 2-6 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The leaves are smooth (glabrous) and have a pointed apex. They are arranged closely along the stems, giving a lush appearance.

Flowers:

The flowers are very small, delicate, and have three white petals. They are borne in small clusters (cymes) at the tips of the stems, emerging from small leaf-like bracts. Tradescantia fluminensis flowers are hermaphroditic.

Flowering season:

Flowers mainly in spring and summer (September to February), but can bloom sporadically throughout the year in warm, moist, frost-free conditions.

Fruits:

The fruit is a small, three-valved capsule. However, seed production is generally low or absent in South Africa, and the plant spreads overwhelmingly through vegetative reproduction.

Seeds:

Seeds are very small, dark, and rarely produced in South Africa.

Thorns:

None.

Roots:

Produces a shallow, fibrous root system, with numerous adventitious roots readily forming at the nodes of its trailing stems wherever they touch the soil. This allows for rapid and extensive vegetative spread and makes it very difficult to eradicate by hand.

Soil type:

Highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types, preferring moist, fertile, and well-drained soils rich in organic matter. It thrives in loamy or sandy-loam soils but can tolerate less ideal conditions. It requires consistent moisture and is intolerant of prolonged dry periods.

Aspect:

Thrives in partial shade to full shade, particularly in humid conditions. It can tolerate some morning sun but direct, harsh midday sun will scorch its leaves. It requires consistent moisture and is highly intolerant of drought. It is sensitive to frost; severe frost will kill the foliage, but the plant often recovers from sheltered roots in milder climates. It is particularly invasive in moist, shaded environments, such as forest floors and along waterways.

Ediblity:

Not considered edible for humans.

Toxicity:

Tradescantia fluminensis is generally considered to have low toxicity, but direct contact with the sap can cause skin irritation, itching, or dermatitis in sensitive individuals and animals (especially dogs). If ingested, it may cause mild gastrointestinal upset (e.g., vomiting, diarrhoea). It is advisable to avoid direct skin contact and prevent ingestion.

Uses:

Historically and commonly used as an ornamental plant in hanging baskets, containers, and as a groundcover in gardens due to its attractive foliage and ease of growth.
Used as a houseplant due to its tolerance of indoor conditions.
Due to its invasive nature in South Africa, its use should be strongly discouraged and replaced with indigenous alternatives.

Ecology:

As an alien invasive, Tradescantia fluminensis is an extremely aggressive competitor. It forms dense, impenetrable mats that completely smother indigenous groundcover plants, native herbs, and the seedlings of larger plants, especially in moist, shaded forest floors, river banks, and riparian zones. This prevents light from reaching the soil surface, inhibits the germination and growth of native species, and significantly reduces biodiversity. Its rapid growth, ability to root from tiny stem fragments, and the ease with which these fragments are dispersed by water or gardening activities make it exceptionally difficult to control and eradicate, leading to widespread ecological disruption.

Distribution and habitat:

As an alien invasive plant in South Africa, Tradescantia fluminensis is widely distributed and a major threat, particularly in the summer rainfall regions. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Gauteng provinces, and also in parts of the Western Cape, especially where conditions are moist and shaded. It invades indigenous forests, plantations, urban green spaces, and riparian areas (along rivers and streams). It spreads easily from garden escapes and dumped garden waste.

Derivation of name:

The genus name Tradescantia honours John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger, 17th-century English naturalists and gardeners.
The species epithet fluminensis is Latin for 'of the river Flumen' (or 'of the river'), referring to its native habitat along riverbanks in South America.
The common name "Wandering Jew" refers to its characteristic trailing, spreading, and seemingly endless growth habit, as well as its ability to root wherever its stems touch the ground, appearing to "wander" across the landscape.

Historical aspects:

Tradescantia fluminensis was introduced to gardens worldwide as an ornamental plant in the 19th century due to its attractive foliage and remarkable ease of propagation. Its rapid growth and ability to thrive in various conditions, initially seen as desirable traits, unfortunately made it a highly successful invasive species in many parts of the world with suitable climates, including South Africa. It has been a very common garden plant for a long time, contributing to its widespread establishment in natural areas.

Interesting facts:

This plant's nickname, "Wandering Jew," is spot on because it just keeps growing and spreading, constantly 'wandering' around!
Even the smallest piece of its stem can grow into a whole new plant, which is why it spreads so incredibly fast – it's like a plant superpower!
It loves to hang out in shady, damp spots, and it forms a thick green carpet that can cover everything in its path.
Although it looks pretty, it's actually a bit of a villain in our natural areas, pushing out all the amazing local plants.