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Is Spiderwort in Virginia “Virginia Spiderwort”?

Spiderwort after the rain

Far too infrequently I stumble upon some spiderwort growing and blooming in the wild. I’ve always loved the flowers, the rich and vibrant violet-blue petals, the bright yellow anthers, the busy filaments that cluster between anther and petal and resemble blue webbing. Their color seems to stand out even in the shade, and this is a plant that can grow in both sun and shade.

Though spiderwort flowers only last a day or two they keep producing buds throughout the blooming season

In this case, though, the plants were in the yard of some friends who live in the mountains surrounded by absolutely beautiful forested creek-side scenery. And closer to the house are flowers and plants like this. To walk outside everyday during the blooming season and see a bouquet of these spiderworts? Fantastic!

A single spiderwort flower amongst many buds

As for the question in the title of this post, there are at least a couple different species of spiderwort native to Virginia (Tradescantia subaspera and Tradescantia virginiana), and I am not always the most skilled at narrowing down identification to a specific species. But I’ll answer the question of whether spiderwort in Virginia is Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) as: quite possibly, and perhaps even likely. I believe that’s the case with these flowers, though I’m not 100% certain. If you know more please comment below and let me know. And I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing these lovely flowers.

Spiderwort blues


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