Scientific Name:
Tradescantia pallida
Pronunciation:
trad-ess-KANT-ee-uh PAL-ih-duh
Common Name:
wandering Jew , spiderwort
Family Name:
Commelinaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Stems thick but fragile; leaves pointed, lanceolate-oblong, most 10-20cm long x 3-7cm wide, pubescent, bases sheathing the stem; flowers with 3 pink petals, about 2cm wide, in small clusters.
Habit:
Arching
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Container planting
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include T. 'Purpurea'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Purple
Colour in Fall:
Purple
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate, Oblong
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
3
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Purple, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Caterpillar or cutworm, Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
