← Bedfellow

Ohio Spiderwort

Tradescantia ohiensis

Also known as: Bluejacket

Powder-blue three-petaled flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon, replaced daily for weeks over arching, grass-like foliage with a waxy bloom. Each flower's stamens carry a fringe of jointed blue hairs one cell wide — the classic subject for watching cytoplasm stream under a school microscope. Cut back hard mid-summer for a fresh second flush.

Family

Commelinaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–3 ft

Spacing

1.5–2.5 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, alkaline

Bloom

March, April, May, June, July, August

Bloom colors

red, blue

Wildlife value

pollinators, butterflies

Landscape uses

border, naturalizing, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV