Spiderwort is not spider plant nor spider flower. If not, what is its relation with spiders? None! However, after a closer inspection of the open spiderwort blooms, we might find some justification for the common name of Tradescantia x andersoniana, just in the middle of each of them - a tuft of downy hairs, a straightforward (or farfetched) resemblance to a delicate spiderweb. Anyone who dreads looking at spiders will probably willingly accept another interpretation, e.g., a delicate cosmetic brush. This one is much closer to beauty than spiders are and definitely exposes better the somewhat modest assets of this charming yet underestimated perennial: decorative leaves, profuse flowering and exceptional durability.
Spiderwort can grow everywhere in the garden providing the soil is wet enough to supply moisture for the grass-like leaves and jointed stems topped with clusters of numerous buds that open in succession throughout summer. Open flowers have three petals each and prominent stamens nestled in the cushion of delicate spiderweb, no!, cosmetic brush-like hairs. What is funny, the flowers live only one day or even shorter but the number of buds present in each cluster is sufficient not to make us worry about new ones greeting the next day. They look great both in full sun or in light shade, the latter seems a better option in gardens where summers can be very hot.
Tradescantia x andersoniana forms dense tufts of leafy stems reaching 0.6 -1meters but they seldom stay erect as they tend to lose their vertical orientation due to various influences. The worrying tendency becomes an irritating fact after a strong and windy summer storm which can completely disorder the bushy habit. In order to prevent such instances you might try staking in advance, just in case.
There are a few cultivars of spiderwort which differ not only in the colour of flowers (white, pink, purple, lavender, blue or almost red) but also in the green tones of leaves, some of them are almost pure yellow and nicely contrast with deep purple blossoms.
After a few years of growing in the same site, the well developed plants can be divided either in spring or in early autumn, and we might consider planting some of the fragments in pots or other containers to decorate balconies or patios.
Spiderwort is a must in every garden, you can believe me or not, and planting a lot of various cultivars along with daylilies (Hemerocallis), irises (Iris), globeflowers (Trollius) and meadowsweets (Filipendula), and colourful annuals can conjure up a fascinating border, attractive both for human beings and...spiders!
Tradescantia x andersoniana forms dense tufts of leafy stems reaching 0.6 -1meters but they seldom stay erect as they tend to lose their vertical orientation due to various influences. The worrying tendency becomes an irritating fact after a strong and windy summer storm which can completely disorder the bushy habit. In order to prevent such instances you might try staking in advance, just in case.
There are a few cultivars of spiderwort which differ not only in the colour of flowers (white, pink, purple, lavender, blue or almost red) but also in the green tones of leaves, some of them are almost pure yellow and nicely contrast with deep purple blossoms.
After a few years of growing in the same site, the well developed plants can be divided either in spring or in early autumn, and we might consider planting some of the fragments in pots or other containers to decorate balconies or patios.
Spiderwort is a must in every garden, you can believe me or not, and planting a lot of various cultivars along with daylilies (Hemerocallis), irises (Iris), globeflowers (Trollius) and meadowsweets (Filipendula), and colourful annuals can conjure up a fascinating border, attractive both for human beings and...spiders!
Jarek
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