PlantFiles: Wandering Jew, Inch Plant
Tradescantia zebrina

I enjoy this plant. It grows well in Florida shade or sun. It can grow out of bounds but is soft , easy to pull out where it is not wanted. But you have to get every shoot and stem or it will grow back. In the rainy months it does not even have to be planted but simply thrown onto the ground and it will take root.
I have recently found a serious problem with large snails that can destroy a bed. The infestation starts out like the new leaves are withering in one small area. It gradually spreads destroying the whole bed. Snail activity is at night and can be stopped with bait.

I've been given some cuttings, which I have rooted in water for about a week. There are now quite good roots, coming from all the leaf nodes. I want to plant them in a pot now as a houseplant, but I need some advice .... I have 4 cuttings, ranging between 3 and 8 inches. When I plant them, what size if pot should I put them in? And also, should I trim each cutting back to the point where the roots are (some of them have a couple of inches of root-less stem underneath where the roots are) or just plant the whole stem?
Thanks.

Due to the possible invasiveness of this plant, I kept them in hanging pots. They have done wonderfully, despite the very hot summers and going a very long time during the winter without watering due to a broken hose and my laziness! They survived my neglect and are bouncing back now that they're getting attention again. They may be something you need to be careful about planting in the ground, but they are perfect for a fair-weather gardener like me and look great, especially when the sun glows through the leaves.

This plant sometimes classified as a weed, but I think the plant does have several unique advantage for you. I have used it as groundcover and fixing the microclimate around my garden plant. They are very tought, easy to grow and dont need extra care, thats makes them a perfect climate control especially for those plant who need strong light and humid root condition.

I have the same problem a few of you have had with this plant being outside, in the yard. We call it the vampire weed because we cannot kill it!!!! In fact, we think our beautiful Jacaranda tree died as a result of our trying to kill the vampire. If anyone has discovered a sure-fire way to kill off this bloodsucker, please share.

Another of my favorites. This is another plant I got from my grandmother. As with most of my favorites, I love it because it propagates well. Simply place part of a vine in moist soil or water. You can also lay part of a growing vine in another pot of soil, and cut it off once it has established roots in the new pot. I also especially love the rich hues of the leaves. It is not particularly invasive in the Atlanta - Macon, G.A. climate, zone 7.5, unless you _let_ it run wild. Keep in partial sun for best foliage, and water when soil has only a small amount of moisture left, unless you are starting a new plant from a cutting, in which case you should keep the soil moist.

Darn. My last piece just died from 34 degree weather. I hope it revives.

Beautiful and Easy to care for, I have about 5 varieties in one big, shallow pot, and with trimming it always looks beautiful and full.

Easy to root, easy to grow. In my zone, it grows best in deep dappled shade. Gets a big straggly if it gets much sun. Lovely color.

I have had no problem with this plant becoming invasive in the yard, it gets cold enough here that I bring in some in a pot to overwinter and replant it every spring. It adds great color contrast in a semi-shaded area under a tree.

Looking for a weedkiller for this plant. Have successfully eradicated a large area once by penning chickens in with it but unable to do in current area ( introduced thru compost I think ). Anybody know of a suitable spray?
Its an invasive destroyer where I need to kill it ( Bay of Plenty, New Zealand )

This plant is one of the best shade-loving ground covers in my garden. It freezes during the winter, so I take cuttings late in the fall and replant every spring.

I like plants, but not when they take over and you can't control them. A friend had told me how easily they spread, and I have found that out the hard way.

Mine are outside. They continue to take over my yard. I haven't figured out how to get rid of them yet, other than manually digging up the root systems--and you have to keep going back for the stragglers even with that.

I have tried to used Roundup on a couple of large areas around two trees, but it doesn't seem to work on this type of leaf.

I also have some that have appeared in my front landscaped flower/plant bed, and they are beginning to take over there as well. Its difficult to get rid of them--I can pull off the exposed leaves, but in order to get to the root systems, I might have to destroy some of the plants that I want to keep. Also, I have the plastic ground cover down, so its difficult to get to the roots, even in the open spaces.

If you don't want a plant to take over and have a mind of its own, I recommend that you make sure not to introduce your plants to the outside. Unfortunately, these plants were already in place when we moved here...

It sounds like many people are, for the most part, happy with them when kept inside in a pot. Don't mean to rain on your parades--my situation is just very different because of the hot Texas sunshine...

Any ideas on getting rid of these once and for all?

Thanks!

I love this plant! I don't know very much about plants, but was drawn to this one about a year and a half ago because of the amazing coloration. It has been in a hanging basket in my kitchen in front of a west facing window (I live next to a busy street so I keep the blind closed most of the day) and has done exceptionally well even though I sometimes forget to water it and hardly ever fertilize it. When it starts getting too long I simply cut it back to the desired length. I sometimes put the cuttings in a glass of water and within a few weeks they are ready to plant. Now that the weather has warmed up (it has been in the 70's and 80's here for several weeks now!) I decided to jazz up my patio so I took it outside. It is in a partially shaded area and gets mostly late afternoon sun, although no direct full sun. I am hoping it does well - at one time I had it hanging by my front door in an area that gets a lot of direct sun during the day, but it started looking very sickly so I took it back inside and it recovered nicely. Maybe it will like this shadier spot better.

Over the years I've had success with this plant. I've had several wandering jews of different colors and sizes.They have lasted for several years . I have taken
several cuttings from each of them when the vines have gotten to long and started several other plants by rooting them in water first. This is done by removing completely the two lower leaves. Fill a jar a glass with water. Put aluminum foil over the top of the glass or jar. Secure it around the other edge with rubber band. Punch holes on the surface of the rubber band with a pencil or pen. Put one cutting in each hole. After a week to two weeks roots will appear. After they are about an inch they are ready to plant in soil.

I have this plant in a hanging basket. It turns a reddish purple color in the cooler months here in TX. It can be an invasive if planted in the garden here.

We must have cool enough winters to keep this plant in check. It behaves itself, whether it's in a container, or planted in the garden. It spreads fast and covers bare spots quickly.

It roots easily in water, or in soil and each segment is capable of producing a new plant. If you want more plants, just break off some stems and they will root.

Pretty much pest free and happy in most conditions....I like this plant to fill in holes in the garden till young plants are full enough to be attractive on their own...then just yank it out and compost it.

The Wandering Jew or Inch Plant is a great plant to use indoors in a pot as a houseplant worldwide, but in my area in South Florida the plant is very invasive in many areas outdoors. It is very fast-growing from shade to full sun and takes over surrounding vegetation rapidly. However, the leaves are very attractive with it's white-and-purple coloring and the plant may be pretty easy to grow. It does well indoors in small pots (on a desk, shelve, or hanging from a hook in midair) and in small planting ledges. It is found and can be planted oudoors (though don't because of it's invasiveness) in zones 9b, 10a, 10b, 11 and below. A great plant, but only indoors so keep it there and do not plant outdoors! This plant usually may like water about two or three times a week.

Invasive and difficult to eradicate.

It will grow in all conditions in my area from full sun to full shade. It grows well in dry soil and wet soil.

I have it all over my yard although I never purchased the plant.

My neighbors are from the Honduras and drink a tea
made from Wandering Jew for preventative medicinal purposes--the kidneys. I have drank it for two days now.

Nothing to write home about regarding the flavor. Has anyone heard of making a tea from the Wandering Jew and its medicinal purposes?

Where do you go to find out medicinal properties of plants?

Thanks Regina

TIP: If it gets too much sun, the stripes will begin to run and the purple and green will bleed together. Eventually the plant will turn completely green. To avoid this, move fading Wandering Jew to a more shaded area (this solved the problem for me, as the new growth on my Wandering Jew now has its vivid, separate colors again, and I just cut the old, faded leaves off).

And you had better be able to move it, too--don't sew it in the ground. This plant ought to be kept in a container AWAY from soil. My friend heard it was invasive so she put it in a pot on the ground by some soil, thinking it was safe in the pot... now, one year later, she has Wandering Jew in the soil all around the pot, and none IN the pot. It pretty much just jumped out and started putting roots in the ground. Try this in a hanging basket and keep an eye on it. It can be as invasive as mint.

As long as you keep it in check, this is a wonderfully hardy and pretty plant that you'll enjoy, and it's ridiculously easy to propagate via cuttings.

Yep. This is the plant for the wanna-be-green-thumb! It is very hardy and will thrive in almost any condition. It grows as a kind of noxious weed here in Florida if you let it.

Don't let it - it's that simple. In a container it is beautiful!!!! The colors are much brighter, and the plant is much happier. It makes pretty, little, white flowers, and livens up my balcony. I give cuttings to my family and friends. They get so proud it's silly:)

This is a beautiful plant, but after growing it as a houseplant for years, I thought I would try to grow it outdoors in St. Petersburg, Florida (USDA Zone 9b.)

I had a large tropical looking bed of Dwarf Brazilian Bananas, which grow to about 15 feet tall, papayas, cannas, daturas, zebra plant and spiral cone gingers, all of which got very tall and "leggy," so I thought this plant would make a nice groundcover underneath these taller guys. I had seen the green type growing as a two foot tall groundcover in a valley near Hana on Maui, Hawaii, and wanted to emulate this scene.

Well, it did make a nice groundcover in that bed for about two years. Butt eventually it started to strangle the bed so much that I couldn't get to my bananas and papayas to harvest, so I decided to pull it all out. Eventually, after a few hours work, I had A WHOLE TRUCK LOAD of this plant to take to the city recycling center. I wish I had a picture of the truck loaded down with this stuff, as I was actually dragging it down the street behind me. And no, I never got rid of it, but I also never found it difficult to control, as my soil was very nice, and unwanted sprigs were very easy to pull up.

The perfect plant for someone who can't grow anything. Twenty years ago, not knowing any better I bought a hanging basket of this stuff to hang on my front porch. The freeze killed it (I thought) so I threw what was left away.

Twenty years later it still grows WHEREVER in the yard. I've weeded & weeded, pulling it up by the roots. Now ignore it & mow over it. It's lived through (infrequent) Florida snows, freezes in the teens, wind chills in the single digits (my heater & my shallow well pump froze but this stuff thrived.)

I never water it & it survived our four-year drought. It has grown at times when my grass wouldn't. I don't even know if RoundUp could touch it. If I ever run into some poor, unsuspecting soul that has trouble growing plants I'll snatch bits of it up by the roots out of the yard, plant it in a basket & give it to them.

This plant is hardy and can take alot of abuse, It has wonderful hanging effects and is dense and beautifully thick. Mine has a purple and green color leaf and it needs to be planted in a big pot. It looks beautiful on a plant stand that sits up off the floor at least four to five feet.
Mine seems to do better if I let the soil dry before watering again. I am in a very humid climate and it does well here! Although I have it outside in the summer and inside in the winter.

I like this plant. I don't have it in a garden, it is in a hanging basket over my desk. It does wonderfully there. I carry it to a bathtub, water it and then mist it for the humidity. In Florida and in summer, humidity is not much of a problem. It is a beautiful plant and will make a beautiful addition to any decor.

This is a pest. This plant swill take over every space in a pot, even growing on the floor, searching for new places with enough earth to stock its roots. Very hard to control. If you want this plant, put it in an isolated pot away from other plants or in an isolated space in your garden.

If your plant becomes leggy, PINCH back generously and propagate the cuttings for another plant. These guys are HARDY and can take it.