How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Wandering Jew Plants

What is it?

This popular plant is often used as a hanging houseplant, with two to three-foot vines trailing down from a container. It is also a beautiful ground cover in zones 9-11, where it spreads up to three feet wide.

The name Wandering Jew is now considered passe due to its xenophobic nature, and many have chosen to call it Wandering Dude or inch plant instead. While it may not seem bigoted to use the name to refer to an old story from the 13th century of the same name, the colloquial association of the story’s use in discrimination can’t be ignored.

Not only was the story used in the time its title was coined to discriminate against European Jewish people, it was also used in WWII by Nazis to justify various atrocities. Therefore, while we agree the name has a discriminatory history, we use the common nomenclature for the sake of simplicity only.

In some people and animals, skin irritation can occur when coming in contact with the sap. You should keep it in an area that is hard for your cat or dog to reach. A good idea is to grow it in hanging baskets that are too high up for your pets to nibble on!

Characteristics

Wandering Jew plants are sometimes called inch plants because each node-producing leaf is about one inch apart along the stem. The leaves are pointed ovals, with silvery green longitudinal stripes and hints of purple or pink, earning it the zebra moniker. In full sunlight, the variegation fades.

While they rarely flower indoors, in zones where wandering Jew can grow outdoors, you may see tiny lavender flowers bloom on the spreading ground cover. Enjoy it as a single specimen in a hanging basket or container, or feature it as a beautiful feature below taller potted showstoppers like canna lilies or palms.

Due to its invasive nature, we don’t recommend growing it in the ground in areas where wandering Jew is perennial.

Native Area

Wandering Jew plants grow naturally in their native range of Mexico, Central America, specifically Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, and South America,. They thrive in partially shaded tropical forest conditions. As a ground cover, it grows thickly and prefers low altitudes.

How to Grow

All types of wandering Jew plants are fairly easy to care for and make great beginner houseplants. Benign neglect can be the best route as long as the soil doesn’t dry out completely. Avoid overwatering or fussing over it too much.

Light

Outdoors, wandering Jew plants can handle full sun to partial shade. Bright light will encourage flowering, and shady conditions will increase the beautiful striped variegation. In full sun, the leaves may be a solid purple color. However, as a houseplant, it really thrives in bright indirect light.

Indoors, keep it near but not directly in the way of a bright, sunny, window or a location with bright, filtered sunlight. You may choose to move it outdoors in summer. Wait until temperatures are at least 65°F (18°C) or above. Container-grown plants should be taken indoors when temperatures outside are consistently below 60°F (16°C). High heat may singe the leaves, but it can handle heat much more easily than cold.

Water and Humidity

These plants are happy as long as they’re not kept soaked or allowed to be completely dry for too long. Keeping the soil evenly moist is best. You’ll know it’s ready for more water when the soil is dry to at least 1/2″ deep. Give it a good drink, but be sure that the pot drains well.

High humidity is fine for Tradescantia, and 70% is ideal. Indoors, a humidifier or daily misting with filtered or distilled water will promote appropriate humidity levels.

Soil

You can use a standard houseplant potting mix for your wandering Jew, but it’ll do even better if you give it soil that has more organic matter.

To make your own soil mixture, add equal parts of the following:

• Perlite or coarse sand
• Peat moss or humus
• Garden soil
• A light dusting of lime
• A handful of rich, organic compost

You’re looking for the perfect balance of water retention and draining ability, so water and watch to see which way your soil tends to go, then adjust accordingly. An acidic soil at 5 to 6 pH is best.

Fertilizing

Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer about every four to six weeks during the growing season. Be sure to dilute it down to 50% strength to avoid nutrient burn on the foliage. You can also use a slow-release powdered fertilizer to the soil once a year.​

During fall and winter, cut back or stop fertilizing completely.

Maintenance

If your wandering Jew is beginning to become a bit crammed in its pot, try repotting it. Select a pot that’s 1-2″ wider than its current one. Prepare your pot with a little fresh potting soil around the sides.

Remove your inch plant from its existing pot, setting the root ball into the new one. Add or remove soil as necessary to get it in place. Then, fill to 2″ below the pot’s rim. Lightly tamp down the potting soil to anchor it in place.

Wandering Jew plants have a tendency to get leggy, so pruning them becomes a must if you want to maintain a healthy appearance. Simply prune back the stems and pinch off stem tips. It will send out two shoots from right below the pinched area, making it grow into a bushy wandering Jew​.

Propagation

Whatever you do, don’t waste your cuttings! ​Wandering Jew propagation is easily done from stem cuttings from a mother plant. Remove all but a few leaves off of the stem cuttings and then place them in a smaller pot with moist potting soil in a warm, bright area.

You’ll start seeing new shoots growing after 1-1.5 months. Wandering Jews are one of the easiest houseplants to propagate!

Common Problems

Now that we’ve discussed wandering Jew care, let’s touch on a few of the issues that can arise while you’re growing one. Most of these are common issues that other houseplants face.

Faded foliage and yellow leaves can occur in plants that get too much sunlight. In this case, move them to an area with bright indirect light or propagate a cutting that can be planted elsewhere. If the soil is too wet for too long, it could cause stress and create conditions where rot can develop.

Pests

These tough plants are not usually bothered by pests. The most prominent pests you’ll deal with on wandering Jew plants are spider mites. They love warm, dry areas, so one good way to counter them is to keep humidity high or mist your wandering Jew plant.

If that doesn’t work, you can wash the plant off with water to knock the mites off. For even more serious infestations, you should remove infested areas and use a systemic insecticide.​

Aphids also suck the sap from wandering Jew leaves. If you’re growing indoors, you can take them outside and treat them with neem oil or a strong stream of water. Follow up and reapply treatments in 7 to 10 days if aphids remain.

Diseases

Most diseases you’ll run into are related to overwatering. Root rot is a big problem with most houseplants, and has two causes:

1. You are watering too much
2. Your soil retains too much water​

If you have problem #1, simply water less often! If you have problem #2, add some perlite or coarse sand to your soil mix. You can also add rocks to the bottom of the pot to improve drainage.

Other fungal issues, like leaf spot, botrytis, and powdery mildew appear on leaves as dark spots, water-soaked lesions, and white powdery substances, respectively. If any of these appear, remove damaged foliage. These diseases thrive in the same conditions as rot, so treat them similarly.

If none of your treatments yield results, remove the plant from the pot and dispose of it.

Varieties

The common name ‘wandering Jew/dude’ is really referring to three different species in the Tradescantia genus: fluminensis, zebrina, and pallida.

Tradescantia zebrina

As you can probably guess, this variety is named for it’s zebra-like leaves that have a deep purple sheen. The middle of each half of the leaves are a creamy white, with the outer edges tipped in silver.

Tradescantia fluminensis

Also called small-leaved spiderwort, this variety has dark-green leaves that contrast nicely against the bright, white, three-petaled flowers.

Tradescantia pallida

This variety is unique in that the foliage is a deep purple with light purplish-pink flowers. It’s one of the most popular varieties of wandering Jew. It is sometimes called purple heart tradescantia.

Sanitize the pot before repurposing it, and do not reuse any of the soil.

Frequently Asked Questions