Topic: Any ideas? [Solved] Alternanthera Red Threads

[patches]

I was trying to clean out between the garden shed and fence, but it's hard to get to since there's not enough room for a human body to get through there.  When I was raking out some of the sticks and leaves I uncovered something that is kinda pretty, but I don't know if it's a weed.  Geesh, even if it looks nice I don't want it getting in my beds and taking over everything.    Any ideas???   

[barleychown]

Google these:Tradescantia pallida, Setcreasea purpurea,Setcreasea pallida

It really reminds me of a houseplant I have had off and on through the years. The part in the lower left corner relly looks like Tradescantia zebrina.

[Dianna]

The part in the lower left corner relly looks like Tradescantia zebrina.

Would that be a "Purple Wandering Jew" in plain language, Sarah? That's what I thought when I first saw it, too...

[barleychown]

It is...but I've been yelled at so many times for calling it that.

It's a good houseplant, and if that is what it is in Patti's yard, it should die with the first frost, unless she takes a clump of it indoors.

I wonder if a bird could have dropped it there? I know if I put mine outside birds pick at it...

[Dianna]

Why in the world would someone yell at you for using a name that most people would recognize and be able to pronounce?

[MassMama]

Ive been yelled at for saying that word too.. It is the common NAME for crying out loud!!  Looks like the same one to me too.. 

[Triss]

The lower left corner is for sure Wandering Jew... I have it in the house and LOVE it... an awesome houseplant.  All of the stuff in the middle, I dunno but if it is in the same family, I would love some if you decide to salvage it.

[patches]

Well, I knew what the Wandering Jew was because the fence is right next where my neighbor puts her yard waste.  When we got the heat wave she dumped two pots of   Wandering Jew there, so I figured some of it just came through the fence.   
 
I was wondering what the red plant is?  The leaves that weren't buried under leaves are fire engine red, but the ones that didn't get any sun are darker.

[Triss]

Are they rounded leaves as they appear in the pic?

[patches]

Actually, they are very long and narrow, but I couldn't get the camera any closer.   

[christy]

i agree the two in the corners are wanderin jews the stuff in the middle look abit more like rhodo same family as the wandering jew
http://www.gflora.com/index.php?cmd=genus&family_id=20

[christy]

oops seen ya said red leafs try alternanthera red threads heres a google pic search
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&rlz=1T4HPIC_en___US216&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=alternanthera+red+threads&spell=1

[patches]

Hey, Christy, I think you got it!  The first picture at the link you sent is exactly what it looks like when I clicked on full size image.     Thanks!!!