Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp)

(probably Tradescantia ernestiana)

Spiderwort is a native herbaceous perennial common to the central US. It prefers full to partial shade with medium to wet soil and is often found growing at the edges of woodlands. There are several different species of spiderwort and these can be difficult to distinguish without either a lot more experience than Jo and I or side by side comparisons.

Sources and additional information:
Nearctica
Missouri Plants
Missouri Botanical Garden (Kemper Center)

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Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp)

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

Friday Flashbacks

Events from this week in year's past.
(Not too many years past, just as long as we've owned a digital camera.)

2006:

Snakes were breeding. (I guess they're breeding.)

Jo found a viscous, man-eating cottontail in our weed-filled strawberry bed. (Jo's photo)

We discovered a fairly large snapping turtle migrating across our upper pasture. (Jo's photo)

Spiderworts bloomed. (I haven't seen any spiderworts in bloom yet this year.) (Jo's photo)


2007:

A luna moth hung out on the clothesline. (I haven't seen one of these yet in 2008.)

A male carpenter bee prepared to do a little nectar robbing on a narcissus while a wasp made its way into the bloom. (Narcissus are just now budding this year.)

Friday Flashbacks

Spiderwort

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana L.)

I'm not 100% sure of species. As Neartica says: There are a number of other species of Tradescantia in eastern North America. These species can be difficult to separate from T. virginiana.

Growing on the bluff at the base of the trail off Jerry Joe's north pasture. Also alongside the trail as you enter the woods.

See also: Missouri Plants

Spiderwort