Dig Into Plants: Spiderwort

Spiderwort

Scientific Name: Tradescantia occidentalis

Native to Alabama: No

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – James Garland Holmes

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Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Sally and Andy Wasowski

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 1 – 2 feet high and 1 – 3 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Native Bees

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Ernest’s Spiderwort
(Tradescantia ernestiana)

Hairyflower Spiderwort
(Tradescantia hirsutiflora)

Ohio Spiderwort
(Tradescantia ohiensis)

Hairystem Spiderwort
(Tradescantia hirsuticaulis)

Zigzag Spiderwort
(Tradescantia subaspera)

Virginia Spiderwort
(Tradescantia virginiana)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
To promote a second bloom, cut back after first bloom.
Cut back 8-12 inches from the ground to prevent re-seeding.
Can become an aggressive grower; to avoid this, divide every three years.
Can be propagated by seeds, division of the roots, or stem cuttings.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
Requires average amount of water.

Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Limestone,
or Acidic Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Minnesoa Wildflowers – K. Chayka

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Long and narrow; up to 15 inches long and 1 inch wide; stiff with parallel veins; grow in an upward direction.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Linear	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple

Wikimedia – Jean-pol GRANDMONT

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Appear in racemes (clusters) of up to 10 flowers at the ends of the branches; each flower has 3 round or oval shaped petals; 6 stamens with yellow tips in the middle; flowers last less than a day after opening.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Blue/Violet	Shape: Stellate (star-shaped)	Bloom Months: June – July

Wikimedia – Omar Hoftun

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds
Plant will easily self-seed in late summer


Type: Fruit – Capsule	Description: Rounded capsule contains 6 dark gray seeds; seeds are oval with a groove on one side and a hole on the other	Months in Seed: Late Summer

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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