The Wandering Jew or Inch plant belongs to the genus ‘Tradescantia’ with bright and bold foliage. Due to its easy adaptability and low-cost maintenance, it’s a quick pick for beginners to start with.
But is it only the beauty of these plants that attracts people so much? Or is there something else that you might be missing so far? In today’s article, you’ll be able to know some other facts that make wandering jews so precious. So, let’s check what benefits this plant got for you.
- Easy to care for
- Beautification
- Easy propagation
- Health Benefits
- Medicinal Benefits
- Air Purifier
Wandering Jew Plant Benefits in Your Home
Wandering Jew is a popular houseplant that can offer several benefits when placed in your home. Here are some details about the benefits of having a Wandering Jew plant in your home:
1. Easy to Care For
The wandering jew plant (Tradescantia zebrina) is known for its ease of care and is a great option for those new to indoor gardening or looking for low-maintenance houseplants. Here are some details about the wandering jew plant’s care:
- Light: The wandering jew plant prefers bright, indirect light, but it can also tolerate low light conditions. If the plant is not getting enough light, its leaves may lose their vibrant color.
- Water: The wandering jew plant likes to be kept consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water the plant when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely. Overwatering can lead to root rot.
- Soil: The wandering jew plant likes well-draining soil that retains moisture. A mix of potting soil and perlite or vermiculite is a good choice.
- Temperature: The wandering jew plant prefers warm temperatures between 60-85°F (16-29°C). It is not frost-tolerant and should be kept away from cold drafts.
- Humidity: The wandering jew plant prefers a humid environment but can tolerate lower humidity levels. You can increase humidity around the plant by misting it with water or placing a tray of water nearby.
- Fertilizer: The wandering jew plant does not require frequent fertilization. You can fertilize it with a balanced houseplant fertilizer every two to four weeks during the growing season (spring and summer).
- Pruning: The wandering jew plant is a fast-growing plant that can quickly become leggy. Regular pruning can help keep the plant compact and encourage bushy growth. Pinch off the tips of the stems to encourage branching and prune back any long, leggy stems.
Overall, the wandering jew plant is an easy-to-care-for houseplant that can add a touch of color and beauty to any space. With proper care, it can thrive for years, making it a great investment for any indoor gardener.
2. Beautification
Wandering jews have different varieties with vivid colors. These are amazing to decorate both your indoor and outdoor gardens. The delightful purplish hues of the foliage brilliantly serve the purpose of ornamental gardening.
Also, the bright and pretty flowers are an eye-catcher for everyone. This is the reason why Tradescantia has been picked by aesthetic gardeners for decades.
Studies have shown that vibrant colors and greeneries have a positive impact on the human mind. As bright red and purple colors boost the aspiration of achieving something better, the fact can’t be ignored that wandering jew plants may bring some good luck to you.
Here are some points about the wandering jew plant’s benefits for beautifying your indoor space:
- Attractive foliage
- Versatile
- Low-maintenance
- Calming effect
- Aesthetic appeal
Overall, the wandering jew plant is a beautiful and beneficial addition to any indoor space. Its attractive foliage, low-maintenance care, and air-purifying qualities make it a popular choice for indoor gardeners looking to beautify their homes.
Tradescantia fluminensis, Tradescantia zebrina, Tradescantia pallida, Tradescantia blossfeldiana, Tradescantia sillamontana, Tradescantia spathacea, Tradescantia virginiana, Tradescantia immunity- these are some pretty varieties to choose from.
3. Easy Propagation
Tradescantias are quite fast growers. Seed-grown wandering jews can mature within one year. Moreover, during summer and spring, they can grow an inch in a week. So, you don’t need to worry about growth.
However, as they can spread quite fast it’s an easy task for them to take over your garden. If you find it a bit messy, the best option is to trim the stems and use them as cuttings. Splitting the wandering jews is not that hard.
Cuttings of the plants are easy to propagate both in water and soil. These take a little time to form roots. So, you can either place these in some unoccupied parts of your garden or gift these to someone.
Wandering jews are quite easy to maintain plants. They don’t mind much if you leave them unattended for some days. Nevertheless, you need to take care of one thing and that is not to overwater them. They can survive the other stresses on their own for some time.
Besides this, gardeners have been praising wandering jews for their God-given resistance to pests and diseases. So, such management is quite cost-efficient.
4. Health Benefits
Not only in beautifying your garden, but wandering jew can also do some ‘wonder’ to your health too. It has some great benefits for your health.
Wandering jews are high in antioxidants. This helps in reviving immunity by eliminating free radical damage from the environment. This plant can also help with swelling and inflammation.
Here’s an excellent concoction for boosting your immunity
Recipe: Wandering jew tonic
Ingredients needed
- 1 litre of water
- 2 to 3 stems of wandering jew along with leaves
- Juice of one lemon
- One tablespoon of honey
Steps to follow
- Bring the water to a boil and add the wandering jew stems to it
- Let it boil on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes
- Then strain the concoction and cool it at room temperature
- Add lemon and honey to consume
In Mexico, this type of drink is known as ‘Matali’ and has been used for several years to treat colds and sores.
5. Medicinal Benefits
There are multiple medicinal uses of wandering jew or Tradescantia zebrina. In Mexico, the variety Tradescantia zebrina is used to make herbal tea to treat normal flu. Such tea prepared with the leaves of wandering jew is also popular in Guyana to relieve influenza. It’s also being used in treating high blood pressure, conjunctivitis and tuberculosis.
As wandering jew has some kind of antiarrhythmic properties, it has been used quite often in patients with heart diseases.
Besides all these, different uterus irregularities like amenorrhea can be resolved by consuming a mixture of herbs and wandering jew.
Have you ever heard of the effectiveness of wandering jew in kidney patients? It’s been working finely to help kidney issues by improving functions. Namely, bladder problems, piles, blood in stool, and urinary infections can be treated by consuming some concoction made of this plant.
Here is an easy yet effective option to improve kidney function
Recipe: Wandering Jew Liquor
Ingredients needed
- 1.7 liters of water
- 3 to 4 stems of wandering jew with leaves
- 8 to 10 pieces of red dates
- One tablespoon of wolfberries
- 20 grams of rock sugar
Steps to follow
- Bring the water to boil
- Then add the wandering jew and other ingredients
- Simmer the mixture in low heat for 30 minutes
- Strain it and consume it after cooling it a bit
Caution- Always ask your doctor before taking such drinks as some people may develop allergic reactions to particular ingredients.
6. Air Purifier
Are you thinking of buying an air purifier but afraid of those gimmicks that can cost a thousand bucks? Then I must recommend you to place some wandering jew at least once in your indoor garden.
It’s shown in studies that this plant can absorb carbon dioxide and other toxic particles from its surroundings. Also, they have the properties of soaking up heavy metals from soil. Feels like an in-built natural purifier, right? Exactly, wandering jews won’t disappoint you on this. Here are some details about the benefits of an air purifier for a Wandering Jew plant:
- Improved air quality
- Reduced allergies
- Increased humidity
- Better sleep
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q- Is the Wandering Jew plant easy to care for?
Ans- Yes, the Wandering Jew plant is a low-maintenance houseplant that is easy to care for. It can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions and can tolerate some neglect, making it an ideal choice for beginner and experienced gardeners alike.
Q- How does the Wandering Jew plant purify the air?
Ans- The Wandering Jew plant has been shown to absorb pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from the air through its leaves. These pollutants can be harmful to human health, and the plant can help to reduce their concentration in indoor environments.
Q- Are wandering Jews toxic to pets?
Ans- Some species of Tradescantia contain calcium oxalate that can be poisonous to dogs and cats. So, to avoid chewing the stems, it’s better to keep such plants out of their reach.
Q- Can wandering jews cause allergies?
Ans- Yes, there is some evidence that wandering jews can cause allergic reactions in some people. That’s why it’s suggested to avoid the invasive species of these plants in your home garden. Apart from this, always keep these plants away from children to escape the risk.
Q- Do wandering jews last all years?
Ans- The lifespan of wandering jews is limited. They can live for two to three years. Though repotting wandering Jews can get them some extra days to live, ultimately after a few years, they’ll collapse.
Conclusion
Wandering jew got some mesmerizing properties to serve both the purpose, beautification, and subsidiary benefits. With proper attention and care, you can gain all the goodness of this plant.
So, don’t think twice to place this diverse beauty in your garden. This would be a great addition to your aesthetic trail.
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