Spiderwort

Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp)

There are three species of spiderwort that could be growing here in the Ozarks. My best guess is that this is Tradescantia ernestiana. T. virginiana is supposed to have slightly narrower leaves and T. ozarkana has lighter colored flowers. Without doing a side by side comparison, I couldn't begin to tell them apart, especially since flower color of T. ernestiana can vary from rose-red to blue to purple anyway.

Spiderwort is typically found in moist woodland valleys, ravines and slopes and prefers moist, acidic, humusy soils. It forms clusters of flower buds, but individual flowers open up only a few at a time and last for only one day. This native perennial blooms in April and May here in the Ozarks.

When the stems of spiderworts are cut, a viscous stem secretion is released which becomes thread-like and silky upon hardening (like a spider’s web), hence the common name.

Sources and Links:
USDA Distribution Map
Kemper Center for Home Gardening
Missouri Plants

Spiderwort