The Tropical Oyster Plant
The Tropical Oyster plant or Tradescantia spathacea is a beautiful succulent that has been introduced to south Asia and many Pacific Islands from its native range in the tropical Americas. The color on this, also known as Rhoeo plant is very striking and tropical looking, and adapts very easy which makes it a great plant to bring indoors to grow as a house plant. Although it has not yet been declared a pest, in many areas it has become a very invasive weed, especially in Florida where it invades and disrupts native plant communities. Tradescantia spathacea also called the wandering Jew Plant creates a dense groundcover on the forest floor which prevents native plants from germinating. Tradescantia spathacea has diverse reproductive methods and grows in areas other plants cannot. These two characteristics make this plant a potential danger to many areas. Monitoring the oyster plant is recommended wherever this species is present.
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The last two pictures are from www.goinglocal-info.com showing how a delicious chowder is made form the roots of this plant which it obviously gets its name because the roots taste like oystersBotanical Name: Tradescantia bermudensis ‘Variegata’ or Tradescantia spathacea ‘Hawaiian Dwarf’ (synonym: Rhoeo bermudensis variegata, Rhoeo spathacea nana variegata) Common Name: Variegated Oyster Plant, Variegated Boat Lily/Plant, Variegated Moses-in-the-basket, Ive also heard it called wanderng jew plant, but I dont think it's used as much any more. Family name: Commelinaceae
Plant type: An ornamental perennial succulent herb, native to Tropical Central America. Light: The Rhoeo loves full sun to partial sun. Can tolerate shade but for more vibrant color keep it in the sun as much as possible lack of enough sun will cause pale-colored leaves. Moisture: Regular watering and moderately. This tropical plant doesnt mind going through dry spells, so let it dry out before watering. Soil: Well-drained loamy soil. Prefers fertile composted soils, though can tolerate less acceptable conditions. Propagation: This dwarf variegated cultivar of Tradecantia bermudensis ‘Variegata’ is sterile and non-seeding, so the best and only way for propagation of the wandering Jew plant or Rhoeo is by division of its rhizomes or offsets. It can also be propagated from herbaceous stem cuttings too that root easily. Dont forget it Prefers to grow in hot and sunny areas as it just love the sun and do not overwater as it can cause root rot.
For temperate zones: Hardiness – USDA Zone 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b and 11
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