Species · genus Tradescantia · Commelinaceae

Small-leaf Spiderwort

Tradescantia fluminensis Vell.

Also known as: Spiderwort · Wandering-sailor · Small-leaved Spiderwort · Smallleaf Spiderwort · Wandering Jew

Growth habit

hemiepiphytic subshrub

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Paraguay, Uruguay

Reference · T. fluminensis

Cultivars of T. fluminensis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under T. fluminensis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A trailing subshrub from the humid subtropical forests of southern South America, where it spreads as ground and low-climbing cover with succulent, water-holding stems. Give it bright indirect light and let the top inch of mix dry before watering; its fleshy stems store moisture and will rot if kept constantly wet. Average household humidity suits it well.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–26 °C

Soil mix

Rich, moisture-retentive yet well-draining mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings root almost effortlessly in water

Fertilizing

Diluted balanced feed every 3-4 weeks while growing

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Small white three-petaled flowers on occasion

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Inch plant / wandering dude — irritant sap; dermatitis, mild GI upset. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Small-leaf Spiderwort yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.