Tradescantia by any other name is just as lovely

Smart Red

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Here are four varieties of Tradescantia (aka spiderwort, widow's tears, spider lily, or trinity plant). Mine are open early in the morning until about noon when they close up for the rest of the day. These are long blooming and will have a second flush of flowering if dead-headed. I lost two colors -- white and blue/white -- probably caught with a hoe by someone.
spiderwort.JPG

A view of the whole plant
spiderwort1.JPGspiderwort 4.JPG spiderwort3.JPG
 

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aftermidnight

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Beautiful, I too love these plants and have several, Sweet Kate, Bilberry Ice, Blueberry Sundae. Osprey and Zwanenburg Blue (small starts from a friend) and another Rondeau Sapphire this last one sometimes blooms double, sometimes single. I lost Mac's Double, Snowcap and Red Cloud, still scratching my head over how that happened, they were big clumps that just didn't come back one spring.

Annette
 

canesisters

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AH!!!!! Love this! A friend gave me a small bit a few weeks back and told me it was called 'Kiss me over the garden gate' - which I thought was a VERY long name for a plant, LOL - but I had an open spot next to my gate ..... so there it went. It JUST started blooming last weekend.
I hope mine gets as full as yours Red. Right now it's just a couple of tall stems with those pretty purple blooms.
 

canesisters

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Hummmm, you're right. Guess I'll have to pick a new name for my 'gate' plant from Red's list.

....and Now I want some of the real KMOTGG! lol
 

digitS'

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Well, those annuals are "easy-breezy," just like Annie says.

Tradescantia/spiderwort need a public relations outfit for a new name! @Smart Red , you should be a good one for that job!

The kiss me over the garden gate from 2013 selfseeded! I didn't expect that. I've had it several times but now it volunteers.

Steve
 

Lavender2

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I like spiderwort. I have pink and blue, the blue is now in the high pond though, wonder if they mind being submerged for a bit. They have spread nicely for me, not invasive and don't compete with other plants. They seem to bloom and then disappear, like my bluebells. I have cut them back but usually don't see a fall bloom.

CIMG3393.JPG


I have worried about trying Kiss me over the garden gate... reading that it could become a reseeding nuisance, like daisies, I have enough of those fun volunteer types. :rolleyes:But it is very pretty!
 

baymule

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Spiderwort is a wild flower here. I have some in the back yard. There is a big clump next door at the empty house. I really need to go dig those up........ like I did that orange and red daylily clump that needed a new home. I have seen the pink ones out in the woods, but they are not very common.
 

Branching Out

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I was unfamiliar with a perennial plant that pops up in my mom's garden each year. Plant Net identified it as Spiderwort. The flower is such a pretty shade of blue. I was thinking of using it in a flower arrangement, but after reading this description from a government of Mississippi site I had a change of heart:
'The beautiful spiderwort flowers last for just a single day, before decaying into a sticky, liquified mass. As a result, they do not make good cut flowers..' 😄
 

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flowerbug

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I was unfamiliar with a perennial plant that pops up in my mom's garden each year. Plant Net identified it as Spiderwort. The flower is such a pretty shade of blue. I was thinking of using it in a flower arrangement, but after reading this description from a government of Mississippi site I had a change of heart:
'The beautiful spiderwort flowers last for just a single day, before decaying into a sticky, liquified mass. As a result, they do not make good cut flowers..' 😄

i think those are the same plants that we had for a few years in some gardens and then decided they were too invasive in their spreading by seeds. we still find them in various gardens nearly 20 years later... various colors from pink to purple (if they are indeed the same plants - not sure yet - as in not really awake yet)...
 

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