Peperomia Tetragona (Watermelon Stilt) from California Tropicals

Tradescantia zebrina, commonly known as the Wandering Jew or Nanouk, is a perennial, herbaceous plant that often forms dense mats or colonies. This plant is characterized by its attractive zebra-patterned leaves, which display a unique combination of colors and textures.

The leaves of Tradescantia zebrina are bluish-green and typically have two longitudinal stripes that are silvery on the surface and purple on the underside. The upper surface of the leaves shows purple new growth and green older growth parallel to the central axis, as well as two broad silver-colored stripes on the outer edges. The lower leaf surface presents a deep, uniform magenta color.

The leaf sheaths are thin and translucent, measuring 8 to 12 mm long and 5 to 8 mm wide. At the mouth, the sheaths are longer, while the rest of the leaf surface is glabrous or slightly hairy.

This plant often propagates through the natural formation of sinkers, which are root approaches that develop on the nodules of the shoot. These roots can grow in permanent contact with water or a sufficiently moist substrate under favorable conditions, within a day.

The shoots of Tradescantia zebrina can be glabrous or hairy. The stalked, parallel-veined leaves are mostly ovate, measuring 4 to 10 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm wide, with a pointed tip and a rounded base. The upper surface of the leaves can be glabrous to mildly hairy, while the underside is hairless to averagely hairy, with ciliate edges towards the leaf base.

The flowers of Tradescantia zebrina are similar in structure to those of other Tradescantia species, with the key difference being that this plant branches off thanks to new buds whose attachment starts below that of the leaf, rather than above. The flowers are typically grouped together, supported by two large, foliage-like, narrow, and ciliate bracts.

The hermaphrodite, radial-symmetrical flowers are threefold, with three overgrown sepals that are 2 to 3 mm long, and three petals that are ovate-blunt, pink to purple, and 5 to 9 mm long. The six equally sized stamens are violet hairy, and the three carpels have become a top permanent ovary grown, forming capsule fruits that contain gray-brown seeds.

Tradescantia zebrina, also known as the Wandering Jew or Nanouk, is a unique and visually striking plant that is often cultivated for its decorative foliage and ability to thrive in a variety of growing conditions.

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