Dig Into Plants: Spiderwort

Spiderwort Scientific Name: Tradescantia occidentalis Native to Alabama: No
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - James Garland Holmes Click on image to enlarge it

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Basic Plant Information
	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.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sally and Andy Wasowski Click on image to enlarge it

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

LEAF DESCRIPTION				Minnesoa Wildflowers - K. Chayka Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)

Shape: Linear	Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple


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


FLOWER DESCRIPTION			Wikimedia - Jean-pol GRANDMONT Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)

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

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


SEED DESCRIPTION			Wikimedia - Omar hoftun Click on image to enlarge it

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 spreads by:
Seeds Plant will easily self-seed in 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
Click on image to enlarge it

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign:
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign:
Editable Word Doc

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox		Minnesota Wildflowers
Gardening Know How		Prarie Moon Nursery

Alabama Outdoor Classroom Conservation Education Programs