Tradescantia ohiensis

Tradescantia ohiensis
Ohio spiderwort
Commelinaceae, the dayflower family
Coefficient of Conservatism = 5

 

Spiderwort (Tradescania ohioensis) is a colorful monocot.
Photo taken June 22, 2023 at the OSU-Marion Prairie by Bob Klips.

Spiderwort is an especially abundant plant at the OSU-Marion Campus Prairie, coloring the landscape in late spring and early summer.

 

Spiderwort is a conspicuous component of the early summer flora
Photograph taken June 22, 2023 by Bob Klips

Ohio spiderwort is described by E; Lucy Braun in The Vascular Flora of Ohio Volume One: The Monocotyledoneae, Cat-tails to Orchids (1967, The Ohio State University Press) as being “A conspicuous plant of prairies of the Middle West, and spreading onto railroad embankments and roadsides throughout iys natural range and eastward; flowering in June.” She tells us also that the flowers are usually blue, but are sometimes white, purplish or rose. 

An unusual pink form of spiderwort
Photographed June 10, 2009 at OSU-Marion Prairie by Bob Klips

The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center of the University of Texas at Austin (Link) passes along these interesting facts: 

  • When touched in the heat of the day, the flowers shrivel to a fluid jelly.
  • The genus is named after John Tradescant (1608-1662) who served as gardener to Charles I of England.
  • Tradescantia species will hybridize in just about any combination.

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