Spiderwort plants follow beautifully from hanging planters, window boxes, containers on high shelves or windowsills with western or eastern exposure. Thanks to their spreading habit, these plants also work well in large containers.
Pinch off the plant tips at the ends of the plant’s branches to encourage bushy growth and discourage bony growth. These tips can be saved to propagate new plants.
Types of Wandering Jew Plants
Although there are many species in the Tradescantia genus, common varieties have a wide range of colors and patterns. For example, T. zebrina, also called thumb plant, has pale silver stripes on its dark green and purple leaves and light purple undersides. T. padilla, or purple heart, has firm dark purple leaves and fuzzy, elongated leaves. Another popular variety, T. albiflora ‘Albovittata’, displays light green leaves with thin white stripes.
Step 3: Water your cuttings and keep the soil evenly moist. Place in a place with bright, indirect light. In a few months you will have a full, leafy new plant.
Step 1: Cut 4- to 6-inch cuttings from healthy stems of your spiderwort plant with a clean, firm blade to make a cut at a 45-degree angle just below a leaf node. Remove the bottom set of leaves from each stem.
Step 2: Place your cuttings in a glass or jar of water, making sure at least the bottom leaf node remains submerged. You should see new roots start to emerge within a week or so.
Step 3: After about two weeks in water or when the new roots are a few centimeters long, plant your cuttings in all-purpose potting mix and care for them as usual.
