Family: Commelinaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Tradescantia zebrina, commonly known as inch plant or wandering jew, is a trailing perennial native to Mexico through Central America and into Colombia. It is widely grown as an ornamental for its attractive cascading stems and distinctive purple, silver-striped leaves, making it a popular choice for hanging baskets, containers, groundcovers, and indoor houseplants. The plant grows rapidly, roots readily at stem nodes, and thrives in warm, humid environments with partial shade, making it well suited to tropical and subtropical landscapes.

Risks & Threats
Tradescantia zebrina is naturalized on Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Maui, and is potentially naturalizing on Hawaiʻi Island. It possesses traits that are cause for concern and could detrimentally impact tropical island ecosystems. The plant spreads aggressively by creeping stems that root wherever they contact the soil, allowing even small stem fragments to establish new infestations. It can form dense mats that smother native vegetation, suppress seedling establishment, and alter forest floor conditions, particularly in moist, shaded habitats. Because of these invasive characteristics, Plant Pono recommends choosing a low-risk or native alternative when suitable options are available. Where T. zebrina is already widespread, gardeners and land managers should avoid planting it near natural areas and prevent its spread into new locations through careful disposal of garden waste and prompt management of escaped populations.

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates and tolerates many climates
  
• Widely naturalized
  
• A disturbance adapted weed
  
• Environmental weed that competes with and excludes native vegetation
  
• Other Tradescantia species have become highly invasive
  
• Sap often causes a skin irritation
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Can form a dense, smothering groundcover
  
• Spreads vegetatively
  
• Can reproduce and spread from single pieces of stem or root fragments
  
• Stem fragments spread by garden waste, water, and machinery
  
• Certain herbicides may not provide effective control

Low Risk Traits:

• Values as an ornamental plant
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• May have limited or no seed production in introduced range
  
• Self-incompatible