Wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina
NEMBA category
English: Wandering Jew, Silver Inch Plant, Inch Plant, Zebra Plant, Purple Heart
Afrikaans: Bobbejaan-oor, Pers-blaarplant
Historical scientific names: Zebrina pendula
Tradescantia zebrina, commonly known as Wandering Jew or Silver Inch Plant, is a highly invasive alien evergreen perennial. It is easily recognised by its distinctive trailing stems covered in oval, purple-green leaves with shiny silver stripes, and its small, three-petalled, pinkish-purple flowers.
Despite its attractive appearance, this plant spreads aggressively, causing significant ecological harm in South Africa.
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Origin:
Native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia.
Distinguishing features:
Leaves are oval, fleshy, and typically purple on the underside, with green and two prominent silver stripes on the upper surface.
Stems are trailing and rooting at nodes, forming dense mats.
Small, three-petalled, pinkish-purple flowers.
Rapidly spreads and smothers other vegetation.
Overall appearance:
The Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) is a colourful and fast-growing plant known for its trailing stems. Its most striking feature is its leaves, which are a vibrant combination of purple on the underside and green with two distinct silver stripes on the top, giving it a zebra-like pattern. It produces tiny, three-petalled, pinkish-purple flowers, but it's the spreading, mat-forming habit and colourful foliage that truly define its appearance.
Height:
Typically grows 10 to 20 centimetres tall, but its stems spread widely.
Width:
Forms a dense, spreading groundcover, capable of covering several square metres as its stems trail and root.
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, oval to oblong, fleshy, and measure 2-7 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide. They are deep purple on the underside and green on the upper surface with two prominent, shiny, metallic silver stripes running lengthwise along the veins. The leaf sheaths (where the leaf base wraps around the stem) are also purplish.
Flowers:
The flowers are small, regular, and have three distinct, often triangular, petals. They are typically bright pinkish-purple to magenta. The flowers are borne in small clusters at the tips of the stems, emerging from boat-shaped bracts. Tradescantia zebrina flowers are hermaphroditic.
Flowering season:
Flowers mostly in spring and summer (September to February), but can bloom sporadically throughout the year in warm, moist conditions.
Fruits:
The fruit is a small, three-valved capsule. However, seed production is generally low in South Africa, and the plant spreads primarily through vegetative means.
Seeds:
Seeds are very small, dark, and rarely produced in South Africa.
Thorns:
None.
Roots:
Produces a shallow, fibrous root system, with adventitious roots readily forming at the nodes of its trailing stems wherever they touch the soil, allowing for rapid and extensive vegetative spread.
Soil type:
Highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including moist, fertile soils and poorer, sandy, or loamy soils. It tolerates both acidic and slightly alkaline conditions. It thrives in soils with good moisture retention but can tolerate some drier spells once established.
Aspect:
Thrives in partial shade to full shade, especially in humid conditions. It can tolerate some morning sun but direct, harsh midday sun can scorch its leaves. It requires consistent moisture and is highly intolerant of drought. It is sensitive to frost; severe frost will kill the foliage, though the plant may recover from sheltered roots. It spreads aggressively in moist, shaded environments.
Ediblity:
Not considered edible for humans.
Toxicity:
Tradescantia zebrina 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. If ingested, it may cause mild gastrointestinal upset (e.g., vomiting, diarrhoea) in pets. It's advisable to avoid contact with the sap 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 zebrina outcompetes and smothers indigenous groundcover plants, herbs, and young seedlings of larger plants, especially in shaded, moist environments like forest floors, river banks, and riparian zones. It forms dense, impenetrable mats that prevent light from reaching the soil surface, inhibiting the germination and growth of native species. Its rapid growth and ability to root from stem fragments mean it spreads extremely effectively, disrupting natural ecosystems and reducing biodiversity. Its small flowers are likely pollinated by generalist insects, but its primary spread mechanism in South Africa is vegetative.
Distribution and habitat:
As an alien invasive plant in South Africa, Tradescantia zebrina is widely distributed and problematic, 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. It invades shaded, moist areas, especially along stream banks, in forest undergrowth, plantations, and urban green spaces. It thrives in disturbed areas and spreads easily from garden escapes.
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 zebrina is Latin for 'striped like a zebra', referring to the distinctive silver stripes on its leaves.
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 zebrina was introduced to gardens worldwide as an ornamental plant due to its attractive foliage and ease of propagation. Its resilience and rapid growth, which made it popular as a houseplant and groundcover, unfortunately also contributed to its invasive success in many subtropical and tropical regions, including South Africa. It has been a common garden plant for many decades before its invasive potential was fully understood.
Interesting facts:
This plant is nicknamed "Wandering Jew" because its stems just keep on growing and rooting, endlessly 'wandering' across the ground!
Its leaves are like little works of art, with a vibrant purple underside and cool silvery stripes on the top, making it look like a plant fashionista!
You can easily snap off a piece of its stem and plant it, and it will almost certainly grow into a new plant – it's super easy to propagate!
Despite its pretty looks, it's actually a bit of a bully in the garden, trying to take over space from our lovely local plants.
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Common name
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Plant family (derivation)