The zebra plant, or Tradescantia zebrine, is a herbaceous, trailing ground cover plant that is native to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. As it comes from countries with a warm, humid climate, it isn’t a surprise that the zebra plant does well in Sydney. While I have only ever seen it growing in gardens, it grows well in disturbed sites and along roadsides. Naturally, it occurs in riparian areas, open woodland and forest in warm temperate and sub-tropical climates. As always, here is the meaning of the binomial name, Tradescantia zebrina:

• Tradescantia-used to honour John Tradescant, who was an English gardener.
• Zebrina-Latin, for ‘zebra striped’, referring to the stripes on the leaves.

Leaves of the zebra plant have a leaf sheath that encloses the trailing stems. The lance-shaped leaf blades themselves are 3-7cm long by 1.5-3cm long. they narrow to a point and have entire margins. On the upper surface, there is a green and/or purple colour with a couple of silvery stripes along their length. On the underside, the leaves are a deep purple colour. They are arranged alternately along the stems.

The flowers are small. They have three petals, normally being pink to purple/violet in colour. when present, the flowers appear in small clusters at the tips of stems. Spring and summer are the main flowering periods, but can be produced intermittently through the whole year. Unfortunately, I have yet to see the flowers, but I will keep an eye out. The fruit is a small capsule that contains grey-brown seeds.

Zebra plants are long lived herbaceous perennials. Their trailing stems are quite weak. At each node (growing point) along the stems, roots are produced easily. Stems are succulent and hairless.

The zebra plant does best in partial sun, with protection from the harsh midday sun. I often see it around hedges that provide plenty of shade and keep the soil cool and damp and air humid. Propagation can be from seed or stem cuttings.

It is worth noting that in both Queensland and New South Wales, the zebra plant is considered to be a weed. It is widely naturalised in coastal areas of both states. If you do have this plant in your garden, keep control of the plant’s spread so it doesn’t escape your garden.

Would I have this plant in my garden? I have to say that I’m not sure. I do find it to be attractive as a plant, but for everywhere I have seen it growing well, it has been almost completely hidden behind or underneath other plants. This makes it a pointless plant to have, unless it is in pots.

Brickell, C., 4th edition, 2016, RHS A-Z Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants, Dorling Kindersley, London