Tradescantia zebrina, also known as wandering jews or spiderworts, are beautiful vining house plants which has lovely shiny foliage with stripes of white, green, silver, and purple colors. They are very easy to care for and equally easy to propagate.
The optimum requirements for this plant to grow and flourish is minimal. Wandering Jew doesn’t like to dry out but it doesn’t like to be constantly wet either. I water my plant every 2 weeks in winter and about once a week in summer. This is because in winter the plant (like all plants) are dormant and not actively growing. I have my plant in my kitchen window which is north facing, so it doesn’t get any direct sunlight.
I have not faced any disease / issues with my plant so far but I heard that aphids might be a problem. If so, the recommendation is it snip off the affected leaves, stems if there is an aphid attack.
Which brings me to the most fun topic which is how easy they are to propagate. I got my plant as a single stem from a gardening friend who was trimming hers. I stuck it in some potting soil and off it went. In less than a month, I saw new growth which led me to believe that the “stem” has now rooted and is an established plant by itself. However, I wanted a more bushier look. So I snipped off half of the original plant and planted it in the same pot and, Voila! Another one rooted. I now have a bushier looking plant and come warmer weather, I am sure it will bulk up more with more leaves and growth.
Here is a video of me taking a cutting from my original plant for rooting:
simple urban living 