Tradescantia fluminensis Vell.

Small Leaf Wandering Jew; Wandering Willy

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Small Leaf Wandering Jew is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae). It is often cultivated as a house plant, and has escaped, primarily in south Alabama. Small Leaf Wandering Jew occurs around trash heaps, in urban woodlands, along streams and rivers, and in bottomland hardwood forests. It is a decumbent herb rooting at the nodes. Stems are green in color, glabrous, and succulent. The leaves are alternate and 2-ranked. Leaves are lanceolate to ovate in outline, glabrous, with entire margins and sheathing bases. Flowers are produced in terminal and axillary cymes. The developing flowers are enclosed in a leaf-like bract. Individual flowers are produced on glandular-pubescent stalks. There are three green sepals that are pubescent along their margins, and three white petals. There are six stamens that have filaments that are densely bearded with long white hairs. The fruit is a capsule. Small Leaf Wandering Jew spreads rapidly by vegetative reproduction. Any small piece of the plant is capable of rooting and starting a new infestation. Once established it forms a dense ground cover that excludes native vegetation. Small Leaf Wandering Jew is invasive in Africa, and Australia. It is a Category 1 species on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s (FLEPPC) 2015 List of Invasive Plant Species.--A. Diamond

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Not Native FAC+ (NWPL)

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