Description:
The Wandering Jew is a beautiful vining house plant that has green heart shaped leaves with purple stripes and a silvery sheen. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be solid or variegated. Blooms are small with three petals and can be violet or white.
Lighting:
Wandering Jews thrive best in bright, but indirect sun light. The brighter the light that you provide for your plant, the more flowers it will produce. The plants deep colors will look faded if the plant doesn’t receive enough light.
Wandering Jew
Watering:
These plants are happy as long as they’re not kept soaked or allowed to be completely dry too long, evenly moist is the best. If the soil is dry 1/2 inch down then the plant should be watered.
Soil:
General purpose potting soil will work for Wandering Jews, but they prefer a rich soil that is organic. However, it must retain water while draining well. Sand, Perlite or peat moss can be added to help with aeration.
To make your own soil mixture, add equal parts of coarse sand or Perlite, peat or humus and garden soil together and lightly dust with lime.
Fertilization:
A water soluble fertilizer can be used twice each month during the growing season, but should be mixed at half strength. Slow release fertilizers can be added to the soil on a yearly basis.
Wandering Jew
Propagation:
Wandering Jews are easily propagated from stem cuttings. Place stems in water until roots form and then plant in potting soil. Stems can also be placed on top of soil and secured until they take root while still on the mother plant.
Toxicity/Poisonous:
In some people and animals, skin irritation can occur when coming in contact with the sap from the plant.
Tips:
Pruning the long vines will promote a bushier, fuller plant. The cuttings can then be placed in water to form roots and start new plants.
Common Name: Wandering Jew, Chain Plant, Purple Heart Plant
Genus: Tradescantia
Family: Commelinaceae
Plant Type: Perennial
Origin: South America
Blooming Time: Year round
Humidity: Average
Temperature: 50-75*F
Height: 3′-4′
Color: Green, purple, silver
Insects and Diseases: Aphids, scale, mealy bugs
Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved
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By weaza July 13, 2009 - 5:23 pm
Looking for the name of a indoor plant that vines,purple under leaf. Is not jew ivy.
By Jodi July 27, 2009 - 9:06 pm
Could your plant be purple velvet?
By jay July 5, 2010 - 7:13 pm
A question about my Wandering Jew. I have it hanging in a south window, with somewhat indirect light. I water it as it should be, and overall the plant seems healthy, but I notice that the leaves have turned from “meaty” or “pulpy” to somewhat thin and papery feeling, and some of the vibrant purple and green has faded somewhat. Is this common? If not, am I doing something wrong? Should it hang somewhere else? Thanks for any help in advance!
~ J
By muriel July 9, 2010 - 9:08 pm
Looking for a plant. Will pay top dollar for it or for a cutting.
Tradescantia Flumineses Varigated Inch Plant – Wandering jew.
By Dawn August 15, 2010 - 3:52 pm
Muriel,
Not sure if you found your plant or not, but Hanover Floral in New Jersey has these very beautiful plants. I bought two of them today and they were inexpensive $25 per hanging basket and they are huge plants. I know they ship anywhere, so it’s worth calling them if you are still looking for this plant. I have never seen a wandering jew plant before and I was captivated by the beauty of the long hanging purple vines. Hope this helps you.
Dawn
By Susan McCarthy August 19, 2010 - 11:03 am
I have Wandering Jew Plants – they are green and white with a purple underbelly.
Is this what you are interested in? Let me know. Sue
By satan November 10, 2010 - 3:52 pm
the wandering jew is a horrible thing to name a plant like really!?!? think of a diffrent BETTER name
By Indoor Gardener November 11, 2010 - 10:56 am
We didnt name it.
By lulu November 11, 2010 - 8:44 pm
Oh Ok SATAN
By Elbert November 29, 2010 - 9:24 am
I have a Wondering Jew that I have been growing for the past 10 years I know and have grown other pots of the wandering Jew from cuttings just put them in water let them root and then plant in a new pot. My first plant has many children plants and my first plant is as beautiful today as it was when I took the cutting from a friends plant years ago.
By Lauren January 7, 2011 - 1:40 pm
does anyone know how it got the name “wandering jew?”
it’s really a great plant, especially for a novice like me. it’s gorgeous & easy to grow & propagate.
it also looks great in little vases around the house, for decoration, when trying to propagate it.
By Traveris January 18, 2011 - 10:17 pm
2 words
1.GREAT
2.WEBSITE
I am a hort and agri student and plant lover and this answers all my q`s
Thanks
Traveris
By lester brien April 22, 2011 - 8:04 pm
We have wandering jew gone feral over our lawns. I am talkinig about a couple of acres of the stuff. What is the best method of killing it ?
By Megan May 23, 2011 - 4:46 pm
I have a wondering jew and been keeping it inside for a few months now, I noticed the other day there are a lot of small fruit flies all over and in the plant.. Once I put it outside it got worse.. How do I get rid of the flies so I can bring the plant back inside?!
By Mrs.Slone May 30, 2011 - 8:00 pm
@ lester you can till the ground up tearing the roots out after trying to pick some of it if you want to save any of it and then wait for them to reappear wich would take about 2 weeks or so then plow them again give another time period. The more you plow them under the more of a chance that they will not sprout back up. Another things is that you can use is strong weed killer may have to spray several times but they will die after a while they are hard to kill out One more tip is that you could take and place a Black plastic over the area it being as big as you said then it would take allot but after a few weeks they will die from the heat and being deprived from water.
Hope this may have helped some what.
@ Megan You can make a solution in a spray bottle with 2 parts water to 1 part liquid dish detergent make sure it not anti-bacterial then shake well letting it set and then after the flies has left you can then spay it with normal water washing the other stuff off and then you are good to go.
By michelle June 1, 2011 - 10:15 am
was wondering after i grow the roots on my wondering jew if it matters what size pot i plant it in
By Mrs.Slone June 1, 2011 - 11:30 am
@ michelle it really does not matter what size you put it in if you put it in a small one the bigger it gets the bigger the pot you will have to transplant it in so it would be better to put it in a bigger pot to begin with place it in the center of the pot so the roots can expand.
By Cheryl June 1, 2011 - 1:23 pm
I got a wandering jew for Mothers Day I did not know that it was a indoor plant.
I hung it outside on my porch and it got really soaked. I took out all the dead leafs
and hung it out to dry do you think it will come back and what should I do?
Please help I feel so bad my son got this for me.
Thank You
By michelle June 1, 2011 - 3:28 pm
Thank you Mrs.Slone that is very helpful! someone also told me that if i put it in the bigger pot that the roots would out grow the plant itself and the plant would not produce as well is there any truth in that
By Mrs.Slone June 1, 2011 - 5:38 pm
in all honesty michelle I really do not know the answer to that I would think that it would grow just the same keep the tips trimmed off and more pups will come out. it also seems to be one of those types of plants that you can split apart and make more plants as well. I am sorry that I can not answer that question. But just keep an eye on it if you do plant it in a bigger pot and if you see that it is not doing as you think it should then transplant it to a smaller one. Just be-careful not to harm the roots
By Cheryl June 9, 2011 - 10:17 am
Cheryl says:
June 1, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I got a wandering jew for Mothers Day I did not know that it was a indoor plant.
I hung it outside on my porch and it got really soaked. I took out all the dead leafs
and hung it out to dry do you think it will come back and what should I do?
Please help I feel so bad my son got this for me.
Thank You
By PlantLady June 15, 2011 - 1:25 pm
Cheryl, if the soil dried out fairly quickly the plant should be ok. I’d recommend sticking your finger down into the soil as far as you can to see how wet the bottom section is. Even if you’ve hung it somewhere to dry, the top of the soil can be dry while the bottom part could still be soaked rotting the roots.
These plants will literally grow outside in the ground, so a lot of rain isn’t the main problem. The problem comes when you have a pot or hanging basket that doesn’t have drainage holes where the excess water can drain away from the roots.
I have never kept one outside. But, my neighbor hasone that she keeps outside until time for frosts. It growed like crazy outside, but she had it hanging under her porch out of the rain.
If your pot doesn’t have drainage holes and the soil deep in the plant is still wet, it would be safer to repot the plant. If the soil has been wet for awhile, you’ll probably find that there are some mushy rotting roots and these roots will cause the rest of the roots to rot as well. Hope your plant comes out of it.
By marianne June 18, 2011 - 11:34 pm
I am reading that everyone one has theirs as indoor plants. I have mine planted outside in my flower bed and they are doing fine.
By Indoor Gardener June 19, 2011 - 8:31 am
Where are you located? If you are in an area that has mild winters it would make sense.
By PlantLady June 21, 2011 - 4:48 pm
If you live in certain areas these will thrive outside if they’re in a good location for their sun requirements. I’ve never tried growing them in a flower bed, we get really cold temps here and it would be a major job digging the plant up and bringing it indoors until spring.
By harley June 29, 2011 - 12:23 pm
I live in north carolina I would like to know if it is alright to plant my jew outside. If so when should I plant it?