Tradescantia virginiana
Virginia spiderwort
Overview
Tradescantia virginiana is a clump-forming perennial 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall with arching, grass-like leaves and three-petaled flowers held in terminal clusters. The narrow leaves are 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long and fold lengthwise into a keel, clasping fleshy stems that ooze a mucilaginous sap when cut, drawing into thread-like strands that suggest the common name. Each flower is 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across with three rounded petals, usually violet-blue but ranging to purple, rose, and white, centered by six yellow-tipped stamens fringed with blue hairs. Individual flowers last a single morning and close by afternoon heat, while clusters open new buds over many weeks. Bloom runs from late spring into summer, with a lull and rebloom if plants are cut back. It spreads slowly into broad clumps from fibrous roots and grows in moist woodland edges, meadows, and clearings across the eastern United States. One trade-off is the floppy mid-summer foliage, which yellows and sprawls after bloom unless the clump is sheared.
Native Range
Native to the eastern United States, from Maine and Ontario south to Georgia and west to Missouri. It grows in moist woodland edges, meadows, prairies, and clearings, often on rich soils in light shade.Suggested Uses
Used in woodland gardens, native and pollinator borders, rain gardens, and naturalized meadow plantings. It is grown in moist shade beds and massed as a ground-layer perennial.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open from May to July, with each bloom lasting one morning and a steady succession of new buds extending the display for six to eight weeks. Clusters open at dawn and close by midday in heat. Cutting plants back after the first flush often brings a lighter rebloom in late summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Violet-blue, also purple, rose, or whiteFoliage Description
Medium greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade in moist, fertile, well-drained soils at pH 5.5-7.0, and tolerates clay and short wet spells. It blooms most in sun with steady moisture, while dry sites shorten bloom and hasten the mid-summer foliage collapse. Hardy in zones 4-9, it needs little feeding and divides easily in spring or fall. Shearing the clump to a few inches after bloom brings fresh foliage and some rebloom. It self-sows and spreads, so clumps enlarge and may need dividing every few years.Pruning
Shearing the whole clump to 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) after the first bloom removes tired foliage and brings new growth. Stems are cut to the ground in late fall. Lifting and dividing every two to three years keeps clumps vigorous.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summerfall
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons