Tradescantia Zebrina

All about the Tradescantia Zebrina

The Tradescantia Zebrina is a stunning plant that is also extremely versatile in decorating a space with it. Also known as Spiderwort, this ornamental house plant has beautiful and colorful foliage with patterned leaves that are a combination of purple, silver, and green. It grows very fast and requires not much care.

Nicknames

• Spiderwort
• Wandering jew plant
• Striped wandering jew
• Inch plant

Different types of the Tradescantia Zebrina

The following are some of the varieties of the Tradescantia.

• Tradescantia Zebrina Burgundy
• Tradescantia Zebrina Multi-Color Discolor
• Tradescantia Zebrina Silver Plus
• Tradescantia Zebrina Red Gem
• Tradescantia Zebrina Quadricolor
• Tradescantia pallida Purple Heart
• Tradescantia Zebrina pendula
• Tradescantia Callisia

Origin of Tradescantia Zebrina

The Tradescantia Zebrina is native to Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. The leaves of this plant can grow up to 6.35 centimeters. The stems, on the other hand, can grow about 30 centimeters long.

How to take care of the Tradescantia Zebrina

Watering

When it comes to the Tradescantia Zebrina, under-watering might not harm it as much over-watering it will. This plant enjoys moist soil. But don't let the soil get overly soggy, as that can cause root rot to occur, which will inevitably cause your plant to die.

In the summer, water it every week. However, decrease the frequency of watering during the wintertime. To check whether your plant needs to be watered, touch a few centimeters deep into the soil to check if the soil is dry enough to water the plant.

While watering, make sure to water enough until the water begins to run out of the drainage holes in the pot or the container.

Location

Place the Tradescantia Zebrina somewhere where it can get plenty of light. But keep out from direct sunlight to prevent its beautiful leaves from scorching. So, bright but indirect sunlight is the way to go.

If the color of the leaves begins to fade, this could be a sign that your plant isn't getting enough sunlight.

Additionally, the Tradescantia Zebrina requires humidity for the best growth, but it will still survive in less humidity too. If your home lacks high humidity levels, no worries. You can do any of the following:

• Place this plant in your bathroom or kitchen, where humidity levels are generally higher.
• Invest in a humidifier.
• Mist your houseplant with water using a spray bottle multiple times throughout the week.
• Set a tray of pebbles under your Tradescantia Zebrina's container.

A lack of humidity will cause the leaves of this plant to turn brown.

Furthermore, this plant thrives in temperatures between 18°C-23°C, and temperatures lower than 10°C could be detrimental for the plant as this could cause irreversible damage.

Plant nutrition

As far as feeding is concerned, use a fertilizer at half-strength during the spring and summertime. Don't fertilize in the wintertime as the plant's growth slows down quite significantly.

Repotting isn't necessary for the Tradescantia, but you can repot it once a year if you want to. Also, pruning is a good way to maintain the plant's shape and prevent it from getting overly leggy. Trim off damaged stems and pinch the stem tips.

Air-purifying

According to NASA's research, the Tradescantia Zebrina helps clean the air of harmful toxins, for example, benzene, formaldehyde, etc. This plant helps with better breathing by bringing down dust levels and increasing the humidity in the air.

Toxicity

The Tradescantia Zebrina is indeed toxic, but only mildly so. Due to this toxicity, this houseplant should be kept out of children's and pet's reach. If your pet ingests this houseplant, it could cause irritation in the mouth, on the skin, and in the stomach because of the juice of this plant.

It is best to wash your hands after touching this plant and if possible, wear gloves when handling or pruning it.

Propagation of the Tradescantia

This plant can easily be propagated by stem cutting. Use a sharp knife to cut a 2.54 centimeter long stem. Ensure that the stem cutting has one or more leaves.

Rooting hormone isn't necessary here, but if you want to, you can dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone and then place it in fresh soil in a pot and water it regularly for it to grow properly. Give it a few weeks, and it will grow its roots.