Virginia Spiderwort, Spiderlily
Tradescantia virginiana is an interesting and long-blooming perennial for native plant gardens, woodland or shade gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Also can be grown in borders, but mid-summer foliage decline is a potential disincentive for this placement. Violet-blue to purple, three-petaled flowers (.75-1.5" diameter) accented by contrasting yellow stamens open up, a few at a time, each for only one day, from terminal clusters (umbels) containing numerous flower buds. Flowers bloom in succession from late May into early July. Arching, iris-like, dark green leaves up to 1' long and 1 inch wide are folded lengthwise forming a groove. Commonly found on open wooded slopes and moist shaded bluff ledges.
Photo: Ashley Fulton-Howard
Larval Host for the
1.5-3'
1-1.5'
SIZE
SOIL
Medium
LIGHT
Part Shade, Shade
BENEFITS
NOTES
Spiderworts are so named because the angular leaf arrangement suggests a squatting spider. The flowers open only in the morning; the petals then wilt and turn to a jelly-like fluid.
CHARACTERISTICS
Showy, Will Naturalize, Tolerates Clay, Tolerates Black Walnut, Tolerates Wet
May, June, July
Flower
This
flowers in
Common Spiderwort
Tradescantia virginiana
DETAIL VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Tradescantia virginiana is an interesting and long-blooming perennial for native plant gardens, woodland or shade gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Also can be grown in borders, but mid-summer foliage decline is a potential disincentive for this placement. Violet-blue to purple, three-petaled flowers (.75-1.5" diameter) accented by contrasting yellow stamens open up, a few at a time, each for only one day, from terminal clusters (umbels) containing numerous flower buds. Flowers bloom in succession from late May into early July. Arching, iris-like, dark green leaves up to 1' long and 1 inch wide are folded lengthwise forming a groove. Commonly found on open wooded slopes and moist shaded bluff ledges.
Photo: Ashley Fulton-Howard