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Wandering trad (Tradescantia fluminensis)

Wandering trad forms dense ground cover that smothers native vegetation and prevents plants, including trees and shrubs, from regenerating. It can also cause allergic skin reactions in people and dogs, and has been reported as toxic to cattle.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Brazil, South America.

Established in: QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA.

Other names: Wandering Jew, Trad, Creeping Christian, Wandering Willie.

Best time to act: It flowers mainly in spring and summer, and plastic covering is recommended for six weeks during warmer months in sunny sites.

Identification

  • It is a perennial, semi-succulent herb with shiny green stems that trail along the ground or grow upright.
  • The hairless stems develop roots at the nodes, where the leaves join the stem.
  • Leaves clasp the stem and are alternately arranged, ovate to narrow ovate, with pointed tips; they are 2.5–5.5 cm long and 1–2.5 cm wide.
  • Small groups of white flowers have three pointed petals and are about 1 cm across.
  • Look-alike: Commelina and Aneilema species have similar foliage; their flowers help distinguish them, as Commelina flowers are blue and both genera have three fertile and three infertile stamens, while wandering trad has six fertile stamens.
  • Look-alike: Native Oplismenus grasses can look similar when not flowering, but have smaller, narrower, hairy leaves.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in forests and forest margins, urban bushland, open woodlands, riparian areas, roadsides, ditches, disturbed sites and gardens, especially in damp, shaded places.

Why it matters

  • It out-competes and smothers native vegetation, forming dense mats that can reach 60 cm deep, with stems up to 4 m long.
  • Dense ground cover prevents germination and regeneration of native plants, including shrubs and trees.
  • Mats on riverbanks can break away in flowing water and contribute to flooding.
  • It causes allergic skin reactions in people, especially dogs, and has been reported as toxic to cattle.

How it spreads

  • It does not set seed in Australia; spread occurs from stem segments that readily take root when they contact soil.
  • Fragments can be moved by water, vehicles, lawn mowers and other machinery, dumped garden waste, or soil movement.
  • Stem segments can survive for a year without roots or contact with soil.

Control options

  • For small infestations, remove plants by hand, raking or digging, making sure every stem and root fragment is collected.
  • Destroy removed material off-site and do not dump it, as fragments can re-root and establish.
  • Use registered herbicides as directed; repeat follow-up treatments may be needed for regrowth, and plants should not be under moisture stress when sprayed.
  • In sunny sites, cover plants with plastic for six weeks during warmer months to weaken them; this method will not work in full shade.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid spreading stem fragments on vehicles, lawn mowers, other machinery or in moved soil, as fragments can take root.
  • Do not dump garden waste containing wandering trad; removed material needs to be destroyed off-site.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources