by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010
This native perennial cutie belongs to a large family including T. ohiensis, virginiana, ozarkana, subaspera and ernestiana. All of these are fairly easy to grow plants when used in cultivated spaces that are similar to their natural habitat.
They all have a range of versatility and personality including color variance that is unique to each species and plant. Depending on the specific plant, most have a fairly tidy habit and some have nice foliage though out the season! (Those that decline after flowering respond well when clipped back to ground level. This stimulated new growth that remains attractive the rest of the season!)
My favorite plant currently is residing in the Landmark Gardens / Campus landscape at Alberici Corporate Headquarters, 8800 Page Ave. St. Louis MO. (see image)
This plant is growing in a tough situation- in full sun, no supplemental water and at best average to poor soil (soil tests have not been done to confirm this but the plant community and history of the site gives some evidence to this as a probability)
She has grown well to a mature clump size in the span of approximately 5 years from seed. Unfortunately her exact birthday is not known but assumed, however I plan celebrate this wonderful event with her tomorrow. I will wish her many more as she is a great greeter in this campus’s unique landscape! (I plan to track her performance digitally throughout the year.
I am fairly certain she is of T. ohiensis parentage but will confirm her genotype and source in the course of creating Alberici’s plant library and green space audit record.
The mature size varies with the species and selections and the height can vary especially between species, selections and cultivars.
There is a compact hybrid cultivar ‘Bilberry Ice ‘that is suppose to reach only 6-10” but there are many choices that can reach up as tall as 36”, especially if T. virginiana is in its ancestry.
Most all of the members of the family have similar arching, grass-like foliage that has a significant lengthwise crease that gives it a “recently pressed” appearance
The three petaled flowers are bundled together in casually relaxed clusters. Usually blue but occasionally rose bloom from May into late June and sometimes into July.
She is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. She does tolerate light shade but may not produce quite as many flowers. She is drought tolerant once established but looks best when she has adequate moisture before and during flowering. She can handle moist, maybe even slightly soggy situations. This makes her a great candidate for rain gardens.
She is also very tolerant of part shade, but flower production may decrease. Although she can spread from seed in ideal growing conditions, she is easy to recognize, remove and transplant.
Care Factor Rating: 2 This girl is easy to care for. She may only need at most a quick trim following her long period of flowering. Although usually a “close to the ground” clipping is frequently recommended, a sever trimming annually may decrease her vigor over time.
A gentle trimming in mid summer will remove worn foliage, decrease wasted energy on seed production, reduce reseeding and encourage new growth and possibly allow for a repeat bloom in the fall.
ATTENTION: Native spiderwort and "Tropical Spiderwort" is not the same thing! An introduced species Commelina benghalensis, sometimes referred to as "spiderwort", has become an invasive pest in many southern states in the U.S. It is a very difficult plant to control or eliminate from sites once it gets established. It is resistant to Round-Up (glyphosate) herbicide.
Click the icon for a USDA pdf file on this species for more info. Note it has ordinary-looking leaves and native spiderwort has grass-like leaves.
Contact your local plant nursery or extension office for advice on control measures for tropical spiderwort.
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010
This native perennial cutie belongs to a large family including T. ohiensis, virginiana, ozarkana, subaspera and ernestiana. All of these are fairly easy to grow plants when used in cultivated spaces that are similar to their natural habitat.
They all have a range of versatility and personality including color variance that is unique to each species and plant. Depending on the specific plant, most have a fairly tidy habit and some have nice foliage though out the season! (Those that decline after flowering respond well when clipped back to ground level. This stimulated new growth that remains attractive the rest of the season!)
My favorite plant currently is residing in the Landmark Gardens / Campus landscape at Alberici Corporate Headquarters, 8800 Page Ave. St. Louis MO. (see image)
This plant is growing in a tough situation- in full sun, no supplemental water and at best average to poor soil (soil tests have not been done to confirm this but the plant community and history of the site gives some evidence to this as a probability)
She has grown well to a mature clump size in the span of approximately 5 years from seed. Unfortunately her exact birthday is not known but assumed, however I plan celebrate this wonderful event with her tomorrow. I will wish her many more as she is a great greeter in this campus’s unique landscape! (I plan to track her performance digitally throughout the year.
I am fairly certain she is of T. ohiensis parentage but will confirm her genotype and source in the course of creating Alberici’s plant library and green space audit record.
The mature size varies with the species and selections and the height can vary especially between species, selections and cultivars.
There is a compact hybrid cultivar ‘Bilberry Ice ‘that is suppose to reach only 6-10” but there are many choices that can reach up as tall as 36”, especially if T. virginiana is in its ancestry.
Most all of the members of the family have similar arching, grass-like foliage that has a significant lengthwise crease that gives it a “recently pressed” appearance
The three petaled flowers are bundled together in casually relaxed clusters. Usually blue but occasionally rose bloom from May into late June and sometimes into July.
She is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. She does tolerate light shade but may not produce quite as many flowers. She is drought tolerant once established but looks best when she has adequate moisture before and during flowering. She can handle moist, maybe even slightly soggy situations. This makes her a great candidate for rain gardens.
She is also very tolerant of part shade, but flower production may decrease. Although she can spread from seed in ideal growing conditions, she is easy to recognize, remove and transplant.
Care Factor Rating: 2 This girl is easy to care for. She may only need at most a quick trim following her long period of flowering. Although usually a “close to the ground” clipping is frequently recommended, a sever trimming annually may decrease her vigor over time.
A gentle trimming in mid summer will remove worn foliage, decrease wasted energy on seed production, reduce reseeding and encourage new growth and possibly allow for a repeat bloom in the fall.
ATTENTION: Native spiderwort and "Tropical Spiderwort" is not the same thing! An introduced species Commelina benghalensis, sometimes referred to as "spiderwort", has become an invasive pest in many southern states in the U.S. It is a very difficult plant to control or eliminate from sites once it gets established. It is resistant to Round-Up (glyphosate) herbicide.
Click the icon for a USDA pdf file on this species for more info. Note it has ordinary-looking leaves and native spiderwort has grass-like leaves.
Contact your local plant nursery or extension office for advice on control measures for tropical spiderwort.
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