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Commelinaceae
Pink Spiderwort
Tradescantia virginiana
Fleeting moments and valued friendship.
- Family
- Commelinaceae
- Genus
- Tradescantia
- Native to
- eastern United States
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, fertile, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–9
- Lifespan
- perennial; long-lived clumps
Did you know
- Each flower lasts only a single morning, dissolving into a gelatinous blob by afternoon — but new buds open daily for weeks.
- The common name 'spiderwort' may come from the sap that forms thread-like strands when a stem is broken, like spider silk.
- Japanese scientists discovered that stamen hairs of Tradescantia change color in response to radiation, making it a living dosimeter.
- It was one of the first North American plants sent to Europe, reaching England by the 1620s via John Tradescant the Elder.
- The genus is named after John Tradescant Sr. and Jr., royal gardeners to Charles I of England.
Color meanings
Pink
momentary beauty
Rose
cherished companionship