Tradescantia virginiana

Tradescantia virginiana
Open flower with a Toxomerus sp. hoverfly feeding
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Commelinales
Family:	Commelinaceae
Genus:	Tradescantia
Species:	T. virginiana
Binomial name
Tradescantia virginiana L.

Tradescantia virginiana, the Virginia spiderwort, is the type species of Tradescantia native to the eastern United States. Commonly grown in many gardens and also found growing wild along roadsides and railway lines, there are 75 of hybrids of Tradescantia species, such as Tradescantia ohiensis, the Bluejacket which closely resembles Virginia spiderwort and is the most common and widely distributed species of Tradescantia in North America.

Description

Tradescantia virginiana is a herbaceous plant with alternate, simple leaves, on tubular stems. The flowers are blue, purple, or white, borne in summer.

Cultivation

Tradescantia virginiana is a perennial forb/herb. It likes most moist soils but can adapt to drier garden soils. Plants may be propagated from seed but they are more easily started from cuttings or divisions.

Range

Tradescantia virginiana is found in eastern North America, west to Missouri, south to northern South Carolina and Alabama, and north to Ontario, Vermont, and Michigan. Much of the northern range, however, may represent garden escapes rather than indigenous wild populations.

Plant

Flower