Tradescantia ohiensis - OHIO SPIDERWORT

This clump-forming perennial has grass-like arching leaves and bears clusters of three-petaled blue flowers (0.75-1.5" diameter) from early to midsummer (each flower remains open for only one day). It often becomes dormant in the hottest part of summer and resprouts when the weather turns cooler again.

For many people, spiderwort seems too common and "weedy," but on the other hand, we don't see it much in the wild any more. This very tough and often overlooked plant has many benefits:

        - long flowering season
        - very adaptable to any type of soil (from clay, loam, or average soils to sandy), from wet or moist to dry soils
        - very drought tolerant, black walnut tolerant and tolerates some shade
        - excellent pollinator support
        - doesn't suffer with any significant diseases
        - can naturalize itself

The only disadvantage might be that spiderworts can be nibbled by deer, rabbits, and box turtles. Also, it may look a bit untidy after it's finished blooming, but this is easy to fix - after cutting the clump back, spiderwort will quickly recover with new fresh green leaves. It can self-seed and become somewhat aggressive in ideal growing conditions, but it is not difficult to pull it out where it's unwanted.

This plant offers a lot, more than many "tender" garden perennials, so why do we overlook it? A superb plant for modern naturalistic garden design, prairie-style plantings, low-maintenance gardens, pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, rain gardens, and naturalization in meadows, woodland edges, and open woods. 

Genus name honors John Tradescant (1570-1638) and his son John Tradescant (1608-1662), botanists and successive gardeners to Charles I of England.

Blooming Time: late May - early July
Size: 2.5-3' tall x 1.5' wide
USDA Zones: 4 to 9
Culture: full sun to part/dappled shade; adaptable to all soil types (average, clay, loam, sand)
Moisture Needs: dry to wet
Origin: native to Eastern and central North America (USDA distribution map) where it can be found in prairies, woodland margins, savannas, meadows, along roadsides, or in waste areas
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: no / no
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes / yes; long-tongued bees (especially bumblebees), halictine bees, syrphid flies, and butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 5' deep pot
Plant Combinations: due to its adaptability to soil, moisture and shade, it can be combined with many native perennials, nativars or even common favorites such as Hosta, Hemerocallis (daylily) or irises

Picture Copyright: US Perennials, LLC