How to Grow a Spilling Wandering Jew Indoors or Outdoors 🌿💜
A Complete Guide to Thriving, Colorful Plants
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia), known for its striking purple, silver, and green striped leaves, is one of the easiest and most beautiful trailing plants you can grow. Whether indoors or outdoors, it quickly creates a full, spilling cascade that adds color and life to any space. With the right care, your Wandering Jew will grow fast, stay vibrant, and look stunning year-round.
1. Best Growing Conditions
Wandering Jew grows well both indoors and outdoors, as long as it receives:
- Bright, indirect light
- Warm temperatures (18–27°C / 65–80°F)
- High humidity (optional but beneficial)
Outdoors, it thrives in partial shade or filtered sunlight. Indoors, place it near a bright window.
2. Choosing the Right Soil
Use a well-draining potting mix. A good recipe:
- 60% potting soil
- 20% perlite
- 20% peat moss or coco coir
This keeps roots well aerated and prevents rot.
3. How to Plant or Repot
Choose a pot with drainage holes.
Plant the Tradescantia slightly shallow and let the stems trail over the sides.
Repot every year or when the plant becomes root-bound.
4. Light Requirements
Light is the key to vibrant colors:
- Bright light = brighter purple and stripes
- Low light = faded, greenish leaves
Avoid harsh midday sun outdoors, as it can burn the leaves.
5. Watering Schedule
Wandering Jew loves moisture but not soggy soil.
- Water when the top 2–3 cm of soil feels dry
- Keep soil lightly moist during the growing season
- Reduce watering in winter
Dropping leaves or mushy stems = overwatering.
Crisp, dry leaves = underwatering.
6. Humidity Helps it Thrive
Indoors, increase humidity by:
- Misting occasionally
- Using a humidity tray
- Keeping it near other plants
Tradescantia grows fuller and more colorful with higher humidity.
7. Fertilizing for Fast Growth
Feed every 2–4 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Avoid heavy feeding—it can cause leggy growth.
8. Pruning for a Fuller, Spilling Plant
Wandering Jew grows fast and can become leggy.
Prune regularly to keep it bushy:
- Cut back long stems by one-third
- Pinch tips to encourage branching
- Use cuttings to grow more plants
9. How to Propagate Easily
Propagation is incredibly simple:
- Cut a 4–6 inch stem
- Remove lower leaves
- Place in water or moist soil
- Roots form in 5–10 days
- Replant to make your pot fuller
Add several cuttings to one pot for a lush, overflowing look.
10. Growing Outdoors
Outdoors, Wandering Jew thrives in:
- Partial shade
- Mild temperatures
- Moist but well-drained soil
Protect it from:
- Frost (it is not frost-hardy)
- Harsh direct afternoon sun
- Heavy foot traffic (it spreads easily)
In warm climates, it can grow as a ground cover.
11. Common Problems & Solutions
- Leggy growth: Increase light and prune.
- Leaf fading: Move to brighter indirect light.
- Root rot: Reduce watering and improve drainage.
- Pale or weak stems: Fertilize lightly.
12. Why You’ll Love Growing Wandering Jew
- Easy for beginners
- Gorgeous purple and silver colors
- Fast-growing and low-maintenance
- Perfect for hanging baskets, pots, terraces, or as ground cover
- Simple and fast to propagate
💜 A spilling Wandering Jew is one of the most rewarding plants you can grow. Give it bright light, light moisture, and regular pruning, and it will reward you with vibrant colors and lush, cascading growth whether indoors or outdoors.