Tradescantia pallida
Encyclopedia
Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort
(a genus of New World
plant
s) more commonly known as Wandering Jew
, a name it shares with the closely related species
T. fluminensis
and T. zebrina
. Other common names include Purple Heart and Purple Queen. It is native to the Gulf Coast region
of eastern Mexico
. Edward Palmer
discovered the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria
, Tamaulipas
in 1907.
T. pallida is an evergreen
perennial plant
of scrambling stature. It is distinguished by elongated, pointed leaves
- themselves glaucous green, fringed with red or purple - and bearing small, sterile three-petaled flower
s of white, pink or purple. Plants are top-killed by moderate frosts, but will often sprout back from roots. Protection by mulching will increase the chances of sprouting in marginal areas.
Widely used as an ornamental plant in garden
s and borders, as a ground cover, hanging plant, or - particularly in colder climates where it cannot survive the winter season - houseplant, it is propagated easily by cuttings (the stems
are visibly segmented and root
s will frequently grow from the joints). However, this very characteristic, in addition to the fact that it is remarkably shade-tolerant and can thrive in a wide range of soil conditions, makes T. pallida quite formidable should it be encountered in situations where it has not been intentionally cultivated and carefully maintained. In areas throughout the southern United States
and Australia
, it is considered an invasive weed
and has defied many attempts at control or eradication.
As a houseplant, T. pallida has been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by filtering out volatile organic compound
, a class of common pollutants and respiratory irritants, via a process known as phytoremediation
.
There is some controversy regarding the correct scientific name for this plant species, with certain authorities continuing to refer to it as Setcreasea purpurea or Setcreasea pallida. The comparatively more recent denomination Tradescantia pallida appears to enjoy greater acceptance and wider usage at the present time.
Tradescantia
Tradescantia , the Spiderworts, is a genus of an estimated 71 species of perennial plants in the family Commelinaceae, native to the New World from southern Canada south to northern Argentina. They are weakly upright to scrambling plants, growing to 30–60 cm tall, and are commonly found...
(a genus of New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s) more commonly known as Wandering Jew
Wandering Jew (disambiguation)
The Wandering Jew is a character from Christian folklore.Wandering Jew can also refer to:* Le Juif Errant , an 1844 novel by Eugène Sue...
, a name it shares with the closely related species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
T. fluminensis
Tradescantia fluminensis
Tradescantia fluminensis is a species of spiderwort native to South America. It is one of several plants known by the common name Wandering Jew. It is also known as River Spiderwort, Small-Leaf Spiderwort, Inch Plant, Wandering Trad and Wandering Willie.T...
and T. zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula, is a species of spiderwort more commonly known as an inch plant or wandering jew, native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. The common name is shared with closely related varieties T. fluminensis and T...
. Other common names include Purple Heart and Purple Queen. It is native to the Gulf Coast region
Gulf Coast of Mexico
The Gulf Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border with the United states at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal regions along the Bay of Campeche. Major cities include Veracruz, Tampico, and...
of eastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Edward Palmer
Edward Palmer
Edward Palmer was born at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and resided in Prince Edward Island until his death...
discovered the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria
Ciudad Victoria
Ciudad Victoria , is the capital city of the Mexican state ofTamaulipas. It is located in the western-central region of the state. Ciudad Victoria is also the municipal seat of the surrounding Victoria Municipality, which covers an area of 1,638 km²...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
in 1907.
T. pallida is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
of scrambling stature. It is distinguished by elongated, pointed leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
- themselves glaucous green, fringed with red or purple - and bearing small, sterile three-petaled flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s of white, pink or purple. Plants are top-killed by moderate frosts, but will often sprout back from roots. Protection by mulching will increase the chances of sprouting in marginal areas.
Widely used as an ornamental plant in garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s and borders, as a ground cover, hanging plant, or - particularly in colder climates where it cannot survive the winter season - houseplant, it is propagated easily by cuttings (the stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
are visibly segmented and root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s will frequently grow from the joints). However, this very characteristic, in addition to the fact that it is remarkably shade-tolerant and can thrive in a wide range of soil conditions, makes T. pallida quite formidable should it be encountered in situations where it has not been intentionally cultivated and carefully maintained. In areas throughout the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it is considered an invasive weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
and has defied many attempts at control or eradication.
As a houseplant, T. pallida has been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by filtering out volatile organic compound
Volatile organic compound
Volatile organic compounds are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and...
, a class of common pollutants and respiratory irritants, via a process known as phytoremediation
Phytoremediation
Phytoremediation Phytoremediation Phytoremediation (from the Ancient Greek , and Latin (restoring balance or remediation) describes the treatment of environmental problems (bioremediation) through the use of plants that mitigate the environmental problem without the need to excavate the...
.
There is some controversy regarding the correct scientific name for this plant species, with certain authorities continuing to refer to it as Setcreasea purpurea or Setcreasea pallida. The comparatively more recent denomination Tradescantia pallida appears to enjoy greater acceptance and wider usage at the present time.
External links
- Standard Data Report: Tradescantia pallida - Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- PLANTS Profile: Tradescantia pallida - National Resources Conservation Service (US Department of Agriculture)
- Taxonomy Browser: Setcreasea purpurea - National Center for Biotechnology Information (US National Institutes of Health)
- Purple heart, Wandering Jew at Desert Tropicals
- PlantFiles: Purple Heart, Purple Queen, Wandering Jew Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart'