The open plant encyclopedia
Snap a photo or search by any name to see how to care for it, where it comes from, whether it's safe, and a 3D model you can turn.
The plants people record most in your country, and ones that grow there wild.
Filter by what you want to do, shape, origin, country, care and safety.
Tradescantia zebrina
Also called Zebra Plant, "Wandering Jew", Creeping Charlie, Wandering Jew, Inch Plant
In Singapore: Silver Inch Plant, Wandering Jew, 吊竹梅 (Grown in Singapore)
Tradescantia zebrina is a fast-growing, trailing perennial with zebra-striped leaves, grown as a houseplant or groundcover in warm climates. Give it bright indirect light and let the top of the soil dry between waterings to keep the colour and compact growth.
Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula, is a species of creeping plant in the Tradescantia genus. Common names include silver inch plant and wandering Jew. The latter name is controversial, and some now use the alternative wandering dude. The plant is popular in cultivation due to its fast growth and attractive foliage. It is used as a groundcover in warm winter climates, and as a houseplant elsewhere.
It is commonly available and used as a houseplant and groundcover, aggressively colonizing new areas when left undisturbed. Propagated by cuttings, this plant can be moved or manipulated easily as its runners cling lightly to the ground (if used as cover). It tends to become an invasive species if not properly maintained. The plant is not frost-resistant but can be kept indoors during the winter months in colder climates. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 9, 10 and 11.
The species, and the cultivars 'Purpusii' and 'Quadricolor' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
In regions such as Latin America and Asia, the leaves of Tradescantia zebrina are traditionally consumed as herbal teas or medicinal decoctions. Phytochemical analyses indicate the leaves contain bioactive compounds, primarily phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. In vitro studies demonstrate that aqueous extracts possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, including the ability to scavenge free radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide.
However, research using simulated gastrointestinal digestion models reveals that these phenolic and flavonoid compounds are chemically unstable. During digestion, they degrade significantly, causing a severe reduction in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. Due to this poor bioaccessibility, exploiting T. zebrina as an oral functional food ingredient requires protective delivery systems, such as microencapsulation, to preserve the compounds during gastrointestinal transit.
Tradescantia zebrina is native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, but can also be found on the Caribbean islands. It is naturalized in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and various oceanic islands.
Longbract spiderwort · Small-leaf spiderwort · Texas spiderwort · Prairie spiderwort · Bluejacket · Purple queen · Wooly Spiderwort · Boatlily · Zigzag spiderwort · Virginia spiderwort · Spiderwort
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Tradescantia zebrina by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
