| Wandering Jew | ||||||||||||||
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 A flowering Wandering Jew plant | ||||||||||||||
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| Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D. Hunt | ||||||||||||||
Meaning of the name
"Wandering Jew" is the colloquial name used to refer to three separate (but related) species of spiderwort, commonly grown as houseplants. The name is a reference to the "Wandering Jew", a figure from Christian folklore.
Until recently, only one of these full species (T. fluminensis) was recognized as belonging to the genus Tradescantia. The original names of the other two species are listed in their respective sections.
All three of these plants grow in a similar way and have similar style leaves and stalks. They are all very hardy plants, and share the common characteristic of being exceptionally easy to propagate. One need not even place cuttings in water; merely cutting off a piece of the plant and placing it in moist dirt should suffice, and the cutting will usually grow quite prolifically.
The following sections pertain to the three separate species commonly known as "Wandering Jew".
Tradescantia pallida (Setcreasea purpurea)
The Wandering Jew (Tradescantia pallida, synonym Setcreasea purpurea) is a species of spiderwort native to eastern Mexico, from Tamaulipas to Yucatan. It is an evergreen perennial plant with elongated, pointed leaves 7-15 cm long, and small three-petalled white, pink or purple flowers with yellow stamens. The leaves are glaucous green, often with a red or purple fringe, or (in many cultivars) purple throughout, or green and white variegated. The plant thrives in sun or light shade in subtropical areas, grows to 20-40 cm tall.
The botanical name for the genus is in honour of John Tradescant the elder. The species name pallida refers to the pale (pallid) flowers.
The NCBI uses the classification Setcreasea purpurea, a classification which the ITIS and most other authorities reject as a synonym of Tradescantia pallida. Some other websites list it under the name Setcreasea pallida.
Adding to the naming confusion, T. pallida (in addition to the "Wandering Jew" moniker) is also known as Purple Heart.
The Wandering Jew has escaped from cultivation in many areas from the southern United States to South America and in the warmer parts of former British colonies, including Australia; in many areas it is considered an invasive weed.
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Tradescantia fluminensis
In Australia and New Zealand, the closely related Brazilian species Tradescantia fluminensis is also known as Wandering Jew. It is an invasive weed in native bush areas and is consided a noxious weed or pest plant that landowners are responsible for eradicating because Tradescantia is distinct in its ability to colonise low-light areas. It can form a dense mat under forest, which smothers low-growing plants and prevents the natural regeneration of taller native species. If left unchecked it can lead to the destruction of native forests. This plant can be seen in the New Zealand native bush in at least one scene in the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Tradescantia fluminensis is also a serious problem in parts of Florida.
Even where the climate does not promote Tradescantia to set fruit, it still spreads quickly through its rapid growth and being dragged by stock, other animals and humans, and soil movement. The succulent stems easily break at the nodes and take root wherever they land on moist soil. While T
radescantia will respond to herbicides and other applied weed controls, as each piece of stem has the ability to regenerate Tradescantia is able to make a rapid come-back, especially in soft soils where regenerating stems maybe under the surface. Either regular repeated applications of weed-control are required, which may have a significant negative effect upon neighbouring plants, or, a final manual clearance should be made. Manual clearance is not necessarily as arduous as it can seem as an initial clearance by raking will make a significant impact. With repeated manual clearance at 3 month intervals, eradication is possible. Regular monitoring of invasion from neighbouring areas is likely to be indicated.
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Tradescantia zebrina
Formerly known as Zebrina pendula, yet another Tradescantia species in addition to fluminensis and pallida shares the common name Wandering Jew. Commonly sold as a houseplant, Tradescantia zebrina has attractive purplish-green leaves, the upper leaf surface showing purple new growth and green older growth as well as two silvery-colored stripes, with the lower leaf surface showing a deep uniform magenta.
Cultivation and uses
The following information was written based on T. pallida, though much of it may apply to T. fluminensis or T. zebrina as well.
Wandering Jew is widely used as an ornamental plant in gardens and borders, as a ground cover, hanging plant, or (particularly in colder areas) houseplant. It is propagated easily by cuttings; the stems are visibly segmented and roots will frequently grow from the joints.
While Wandering Jew is non-toxic and generally considered safe for human consumption, it is also exceedingly bland. Wandering Jew has applications as a livestock and poultry feed as it is fast-growing, resilient to disease, and tolerates shade.
The fluids from crushed T. fluminensis and T. pallida are known as an allergen[1] to dogs, ranging from a light rash to raised pustules.
External links and references
Front view of leaves from the Tradescantia pallida plant.
Back view of leaves from the Tradescantia pallida plant.
Front view of leaves from the Tradescantia zebrina plant.
Back view of leaves from the Tradescantia zebrina plant.
