Virginia Spiderwort
Tradescantia virginiana
- Native to:
- Cuba, United States
Cbaile19
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Commelinaceae
- Genus:
- Tradescantia
- Species:
- Tradescantia virginiana
- USDA Symbol:
- TRVI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul
- Bloom Colors:
- blue, purple, violet, pink, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Azalea sphinx (Darapsa choerilus), Sweetpotato Armyworm (Spodoptera dolichos)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rhizomes following fire; tolerates prescribed burns in prairie and woodland edge settings.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich environments
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate best with cold stratification. Can also be propagated easily by division.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI