Tradescantia ohiensis

Ohio Spiderwort or Bluejacket spiderwort is a herbaceous plant with gray-green leaves and purple flowers that open in early morning and close by mid-afternoon. It prefers dry to moderately moist soil. The smooth, bluish to silver stems and leaves are topped with spidery clusters of bright blue flowers. It grows best in light to moderate shade for dark green foliage or in full sun for more flowers. When cut back to the ground after blooming it will have renewed growth and bloom a second time in the autumn. It is beautiful when grown on an open wooded hillside with Wild Geraniums or a open meadow with Penstemon (Foxglove Beardtongue), and Monarda (Wild Bergamot). Ohio spiderwort can be planted in a prairie meadow with Big Bluestem grass, Liatris (blazing Star), Echinacea (Coneflower), Ratibida (Prairie coneflower), Monarda (Bergamot, and other prairie wildflowers and grasses. Ohio Spiderwort may grow aggressively in rich soil. Seeds germinate in a few weeks without pretreatment. Tradescantia ohiensis is a native wildflower occurring naturally in open woods, prairies, and savannas from Massachusetts to Minnesota and Nebraska, south to Florida and Texas. Commelinaceae (Spiderwort Family)

The blue hairs on the stamens are distinctive. These hairs are blue even on the rare white flowered plants and are composed of a chain of single large cells that can be seen clearly with low magnification and turn pink when exposed to even low levels of nuclear radiation.

The Cherokee used Spiderwort as an ingredient in several preparations for female and kidney problems. They used a tea for digestive problems and would rub crushed leaves on insect bites (stings). A root poultice was used for cancer.

This species of spiderwort is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial which grows up to 3' tall. Violet-blue to purple, three-petaled flowers (.75-1.5" diameter) accented by contrasting yellow stamens open up, a few at a time, each for only one day, from terminal clusters (umbels) containing numerous flower buds. Flowers bloom in succession from late May into early July. Arching, iris-like, dark green leaves up to 1' long and 1 inch wide are folded lengthwise forming a groove. When the stems of spiderworts are cut, a viscous stem secretion is released which becomes threadlike and silky upon hardening (like a spider's web), hence the common name.

An interesting and long-blooming perennial for native plant gardens, woodland or shade gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Also can be grown in borders, but mid-summer foliage decline is a potential disincentive for this placement.

found in 9b

6.09.07 It bloomed! I believe Rufino said that some varieties have pink flowers. Mine has Blue flowers :)