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What’s My Plant???

emilyjanebeaneyemilyjanebeaney Posts: 3
in Plants
I was gifted this plant but problem is... what is it?. It loves water, grows once or twice tiny, tiny pink/white flowers in the summer. I can take a leaf from it and it will grow roots in a cup of water. At the moment it has gone brown/dying?. Someone did mention it was a Jesus plant?, thank you. 

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,929
    Welcome to the forum @emilyjanebeaney :) Could be a type of tradescantia, l believe they are sometimes known as "Wandering Jew", but not entirely sure. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 9,570

    One of the tradescantias.  It has many common names - the ones I know are inch plant and wandering jew (that one's probably frowned upon these days).  

    I have a several plants of a purple form and a silver striped form, and they all go like that eventually, and particularly when light levels start to drop in autumn.  I find it's best to take plenty of cuttings and when rooted plant about 6 in a pot ready to replace the parent plant when it gets straggly and ugly.  Cutting back the stems to just above the compost can also stimulate it to grow new ones, but I think young plants look better, in the growing conditions that I can give them.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • emilyjanebeaneyemilyjanebeaney Posts: 3
    Hi, I just looked online and yes it is indeed a Wandering Jew! Thank you so much!. 😀
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,121
    There is a lot of dried out growth on there ; I would cut right back to the pot and start again !
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,992
    Whatever it is, it's dying.
    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • FireFire Posts: 17,338
    I would pot on to a larger pot, feed regularly and prune out all the pale growth - keep the green new growth. It will recover. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,054
    edited October 2018
    I think the green shoots are a reversion and should be cut out.

    The pale leaves look as if they should be beautifully variegated but theyre more susceptible and they’ve been scorched by being in direct strong sunlight. 

    I would cut it hard back and repot in good compost and place in filtered light.

    My guess is that you’ll find there’s a beautifully variegated tradescantia zebrina waiting to happen. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,929
    I agree with Dove, @emilyjanebeaney , the cuttings are very easy to root in a glass of water, if you have any stripy bits. I think the plain green ones would remain green.
  • emilyjanebeaneyemilyjanebeaney Posts: 3
    Okay, I going to trim back and take some cuttings, inside the plant there are lots of new fresh green shoots, I'll just cut away the brown ones and leave the fresh green, thank you everyone . 😃
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,054
    edited October 2018
    If you want the pretty leaves of a Tradescantia Zebrina  as shown here
    https://www.thespruce.com/tradescantia-care-overview-1902775

    you need to remove the plain green shoots or they will take over ... just as you do with a variegated holly or other plant ... https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/reversion/

    The plant should then grow some new colourful shoots ... they are the ones to take cuttings from ... not the green ones. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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