Spiderwort

Growing Conditions

Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Zones 4 - 9

Companion Planting

When to Plant

• Start Indoors

  8-10 weeks before last frost for first-year establishment

• Transplant

  After last frost when soil has warmed

• Direct Sow

  Fall or early spring; cold stratification improves germination

• Harvest

  Harvest young leaves and shoots in spring; flowers are edible and can be picked as they open

Organic Growing Tips

• Top-dress clumps with compost each spring to encourage vigorous new growth and prolong the bloom period

• Water with diluted compost tea in early spring to boost establishment and encourage early flowering

• Mulch with 2-3 inches of shredded leaves or straw to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds, especially in the first season

• Divide clumps every 3-4 years in early spring to maintain vigor; incorporate worm castings into the planting hole when resetting divisions

• Avoid high-nitrogen inputs, which push leafy growth at the expense of flowers; a balanced compost amendment is sufficient

• Allow some self-seeding in naturalistic plantings to create a low-maintenance colony that supports native bees

Common Pests

• Slugs
• Spider mites
• Aphids
• Caterpillars

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae)

Genus

Tradescantia

Species

ohiensis

Natural History

Tradescantia ohiensis is native to the central and eastern United States, growing naturally along roadsides, prairies, open woodlands, and disturbed ground from Nebraska to Massachusetts and south to Florida. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus to honor John Tradescant the Elder, gardener to King Charles I of England, who introduced New World plants to European gardens in the early seventeenth century. Ohio spiderwort entered cultivation as an ornamental in colonial-era America and has since naturalized across much of temperate North America. Its fleeting single-morning bloom cycle reflects an adaptation to pollination by native bumblebees, which visit the hairy stamens for pollen before flowers close.

Traditional Use

Several Native American peoples documented uses of Tradescantia species, including T. ohiensis, in ethnobotanical records compiled in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The plants were noted primarily for external applications to skin conditions and as a food source, with both leaves and flowers recorded as edible. Documentation is observational and comes mainly from ethnobotanical surveys rather than formal medical tradition.

• Cherokee, eastern North America, ethnobotanical records compiled by Moerman - roots and leaves

  Cherokee ethnobotanical records noted spiderwort roots were used in poultices applied to skin complaints, and young leaves were consumed as a cooked green in spring.

• Potawatomi, Great Lakes region, early twentieth-century ethnobotanical surveys - leaves

  Potawatomi records documented spiderwort leaves being used in a preparation applied externally to insect bites and minor skin irritations.

Spiderwort foliage and sap may cause mild skin irritation or contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals; the hairy stems and leaves should be handled with care by those prone to plant allergies. Young leaves are edible when cooked but raw leaves are mildly mucilaginous and may irritate the mouth in quantity.

This information is provided for historical and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to your health.

Morphology (Plant Structure & Identification)

• Root System

  Forms a dense, fibrous root mass with fleshy, slightly succulent roots spreading from a central crown; clumps expand slowly outward and are easy to divide in spring or fall for propagation.

• Stem

  Stems are upright to slightly arching, hollow, succulent, and jointed, reaching 18-36 inches; they tend to flop after peak bloom and can be cut back by half to encourage fresh compact regrowth.

• Leaves

  Long, strap-like leaves are folded lengthwise along the midrib and emerge directly from stem joints; yellowing leaves after midsummer are normal summer semi-dormancy, not a sign of disease or nutrient deficiency.

• Flowers

  Each three-petaled flower is vivid blue-violet to rose-purple, surrounded by hairy yellow stamens that attract native bumblebees; blooms open in the morning and dissolve into a translucent jelly by midday, with successive buds opening over several weeks.

• Fruit

  Small three-chambered capsules follow each flower and split open when ripe to release angular brown seeds; plants self-seed freely and pods should be removed if naturalization is not desired.

Known Varieties

Common cultivars worth knowing

• Tradescantia ohiensis (species)

  The straight native species with classic blue-violet flowers; most cold-hardy, most vigorous self-seeder, and best for native pollinator planting and naturalistic gardens.

  Best for: Native plantings, prairie gardens, and low-maintenance naturalistic borders

• 'Mrs. Loewer' (Tradescantia × andersoniana)

  A compact garden hybrid with soft pink flowers and a longer, repeat-blooming season than the species; less aggressive a self-seeder and better suited to formal beds.

  Best for: Cottage gardens and mixed perennial borders where controlled spread is important

• 'Concord Grape'

  A popular cultivar with deep grape-purple flowers and a compact, upright habit; holds its color well even in partial shade and is widely available as nursery stock.

  Best for: Color-focused perennial borders and container planting

• 'Sweet Kate'

  Grown as much for its striking chartreuse-gold foliage as its blue-violet flowers; the bright leaf color fades in deep shade, so partial sun produces the best contrast.

  Best for: Foliage contrast in mixed borders and partly shaded beds