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Wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina
Also known as inch plant, tradescantia
Plantae›Tracheophyta›Liliopsida›Commelinales›Commelinaceae
A vigorous, fast grower that roots effortlessly — trail the stems above water with roots submerged for an efficient nitrate-absorbing biofilter on HOB or open-top tanks. Medium-to-bright indirect light.
Grown with its roots in the tank water and its leaves in the air: a living nitrate filter, not a submerged aquarium plant. Give it bright indirect light; no aquarium CO₂ or substrate needed.
Sap is a mild skin/gut irritant (ASPCA lists it as toxic) — keep the foliage away from plant-grazing fish; the submerged roots are fine.
Where it's from
Native to Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and 8 more
Recorded as introduced in Algeria, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Bahamas and 53 more places
At a glance
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Growth
- Fast
- Placement
- Emersed — roots in water, leaves in air
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Legality
No state or federal restrictions on record.
Not legal advice, and possibly incomplete or out of date. Rules vary by state and change over time; check with your state wildlife or agriculture agency before buying, keeping or shipping it.
The care information here is written with AI help, so it can contain mistakes. Spot one? Tell us and we'll fix it. Native range: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) (CC BY 4.0).
At a glance
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Growth
- Fast
- Placement
- Emersed — roots in water, leaves in air
Keepers’ experiences
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