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Tradescantia virginiana
Also called Spiderwort, White Spiderwort, Widow's Tears, Spider Lily
A clump-forming, spreading perennial wildflower of eastern North America with grass-like arching leaves and clusters of blue to purple flowers from April to July. It is tough and adaptable, and it prefers moist soil but tolerates drier conditions.
Tradescantia virginiana, the Virginia spiderwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae (the spiderwort family). It is the type species of the genus Tradescantia, native to the eastern United States. Common names include Virginia spiderwort, common spiderwort, lady's tears, and spider lily.
Virginia spiderwort is a sturdy plant and will persist in a variety of sunlight and soil conditions. The plant prefers moist soils and shade but will adapt to drier soil and full sun. These plants can be propagated from a seed but are better suited for starting from cuttings or divisions. Established plants will grow by themselves, and stalks on the ground will root from the nodes. To manage Virginia spiderwort, they can be partially clipped back after blooming. These plants can also be partially controlled by dividing them and regularly removing slumping stalks every two to four years. Flowering occurs from April to July.
Longbract spiderwort · Small-leaf spiderwort · Texas spiderwort · Prairie spiderwort · Bluejacket · Purple queen · Wooly Spiderwort · Boatlily · Zigzag spiderwort · Inchplant · Spiderwort
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Tradescantia virginiana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
