Trad (Tradescantia fluminensis)

Also known as: Wandering Jew (previously known as)

Trad is a groundcover with shiny green leaves and white flowers. It forms dense mats that outcompete other plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Trad is an environmental weed that:

• forms dense mats that outcompete other plants including natives
• can contribute to flooding by clogging watercourses and drains
• can causes severe allergic skin reactions in animals and occasionally people.

In New South Wales, trad threatens five endangered ecological communities:

• Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
• Littoral Rainforest in the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
• River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
• Subtropical Coastal Floodplain Forest of the New South Wales North Coast Bioregion
• Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions.

What does it look like?

Trad is a slightly succulent groundcover that forms very dense mats. It is usually perennial but sometimes annual.

Leaves are:

• dark green and shiny with prominent midveins
• 2.5–5.5 cm long and 1–2.5 cm wide
• oval to lance shaped with a pointed tip
• attached to the stem via a sheath that has fine hairs on its margins.

Flowers are:

• white with 3 petals, each 7–10 mm long, and 3 green sepals (leaf-like structures) under the petals
• on stalks 1–2 cm long
• present in spring–summer, later in warmer parts of NSW.

Fruit are:

• capsules
• about 2 mm long
• not known to produce viable seed in Australia.

Stems are:

• green and succulent
• branched
• sometimes upright
• swollen at the nodes.

Roots:

• are thin and fibrous
• are purplish
• grow from the nodes on the stems.

Similar looking plants

Trad looks similar to:

• Scurvy weed (Commelina cyanea), a native plant which has blue flowers, thicker stems and narrower leaves.
• Oplismenus native grasses (O. aemulus, O. imbecillis and O. undulatifolius). These can look similar when not flowering The leaves are sparsely hairy and have hairy ligules.
• Other introduced Tradescantia species (T. zebrina and T.cerinthoides) are purplish on the underside of the leaves. T. zebrina is striped on the top of the leaf.
• Aneilema species which have larger leaves up to 10 cm long.

Where is it found?

Trad is widespread in higher rainfall areas of NSW. It has been found in the North Coast, Hunter, Greater Sydney, Northern Tablelands, North West and South East regions  

Trad is native to tropical rainforests in parts of South America. Introduction into Australia is most likely to have been as an ornamental garden plant.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Trad can grow in tropical to cool moist temperate climates, but it is sensitive to frosts. If the stems are protected by leaf litter, they can quickly regrow after frost damage.

Fertile damp soils are preferred and it can survive in seasonally waterlogged soils. Plants can tolerate full sun and shaded areas, though in very heavy shade it is not as competitive against other plants.

Trad has been found growing:

• in subtropical rainforests, temperate rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests (especially in gaps and along the margins)
• in moist woodlands and heathlands
• along the edges of waterways
• in disturbed areas such as roadsides, ditches and gardens.

How does it spread?

By plant parts

Trad can grow from any stem fragments that have a node. New plants can grow from fragments as small as 1 cm long. Stem fragments are spread by:

• people moving garden waste
• moving water
• contaminated soil
• vehicles and machinery
• sticking in animal hooves

References

CABI (2019). Data Sheet: Tradescantia fluminensis (wandering Jew). Retrieved 16 May 2023 from https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.54389

Dugdale, T. M., McLaren, D. A., & Conran, J. G. (2015). The biology of Australian weeds 65.'Tradescantia fluminensis' Vell. Plant Protection Quarterly, 30(4), 116-125.

Muyt, A. (2001). Bush Invaders of South-East Australia: a guide to the identification and control of environmental weeds found in south-east Australia. R.G. & F.J. Richardson, Victoria.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney.  Retrieved 16 May 2023 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Tradescantia~fluminensis

Standish, R. J., Robertson, A. W., & Williams, P. A. (2001). The impact of an invasive weed Tradescantia fluminensis on native forest regeneration. Journal of Applied Ecology, 38(6), 1253-1263.

More information

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Control

Successful weed control relies on follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing regrowth or new seedlings. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful.

Physical removal

By hand

Small infestations can be pulled out, but all stems and roots must be removed to avoid re-growth.

Raking and Rolling

Thick patches can be raked and rolled into bundles where there are no desirable plants.

Plastic sheeting

In warm areas, lay plastic over the trad infestation for 2–6 weeks in warm weather. After removing the plastic, check for and control regrowth.

Disposal

Disposal of all plant parts carefully. In hot weather bundles of trad can be covered by plastic sheets for 2-6 weeks. Ensure that the trad is in a flood free area that will not be disturbed. Check and control any regrowth. Contact your local council for advice on how to dispose of this weed.

Revegetation

Closely planting canopy-forming trees when restoring forest remnants can help limit the impact of trad on native seedling growth.

Chemical control

Combine herbicide with a wetting agent. Repeated follow-up treatments are required.

Spot spraying

Spraying is suitable for dense infestations that are not too close to other desirable plants. Apply herbicide to actively growing plants. Ensure that all the foliage is covered.

Weed wipers

Apply herbicide directly onto leaves. This can better target the chemical and minimise damage to other species.

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 11916 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 200 mL per 10 L of water + surfactant
Comments: Spray evenly to cover all of the foliage. For use in urban bushland, forests and coastal reserves. Treat in winter or early spring for best results. Spray twice 6–8 weeks apart. Retreatment is essential. See permit for further critical comments.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 1.5 L in 100 L of water
Comments: Foliar application. Re-treatment necessary. Young plants up to and including flowering.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 900 mL in 100 L of water
Comments: Foliar application. Re-treatment necessary. Young plants up to and including flowering.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Picloram 44.7 g/L + Aminopyralid 4.47 g/L (Vigilant II ®)
Rate: Undiluted (16 g /m2))
Comments: Use a long-handled paint roller or similar making sure the foliage has been completely flattened during application.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

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Reviewed 2024