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Tradescantia pallida - Wandering jew
Wandering jew is a species of spiderwort (a genus of New World plants) more commonly known as Tradescantia pallida, a name it shares with the closely related species T. fluminensis and T. zebrina. Other common names include purple secretia, purple-heart, and purple queen.[1] It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. Edward Palmer was the first European to observe and assign a Latin name to the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas in 1907.
Description
Tradescantia 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 flowers of white, pink or purple. Plants are top-killed by moderate frosts, but will often sprout back from roots.[2] Protection by mulching will increase the chances of sprouting in marginal areas.
Uses
- Widely used as an ornamental plant in gardens 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 roots will frequently grow from the joints).
- As a houseplant, T. pallida has been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by filtering out volatile organic compounds, a class of common pollutants and respiratory irritants, via a process known as phytoremediation.
