Tradescantia

( trad - es - KAN - tee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

These plants have many common names, including Inchplant, Spiderwort, Dayflower and Trad. They commonly reach about 2 feet tall and have a spreading habit, and produce pink, blue, purple, or white flowers in spring and summertime. 

Tradecantia Species and Varietals

The genus Tradescantia includes 86 species, and is a member of the plant family Commelinaceae. It was named for English explorers and naturalists John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Tradescantia bracteata (Longbract Spiderwort, Prairie Spiderwort)
This species is native to the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley areas in the United States, where it grows along roads, in prairie grasslands, and on the edges of forests. Flowers are magenta, and foliage is green, sometimes with reddish margins. 

Tradescantia buckleyi (Buckley's Spiderwort)
Native to southern Texas and northern Mexico, this species is named for Samuel Botsford Buckley, the collector of the official type specimen. Branches are trailing, and can reach 20 inches long. Foliage color ranges from dark green to purplish, and roots can form at stem nodes. Flowers are pale pink to white, and bloom in spring and summetime.

Tradescantia cerinthoides (Flowering Inch Plant)
This species is native to an area ranging from southeast Brazil to northeastern Argentina. These plants were first formally described in 1843 by German botanist Carl Sigismund Kunth. Flower petals are white with pink tips, and foliage is greenish purple. Stems and flower bracts are maroon. These are popular ornamental plants in many areas, but have the potential to become invasive if growing conditions are right.

Tradescantia crassula (Succulent Spiderwort, White-Flowered Tradescantia)
Favoring shaded spots under Oak trees, these plants are native to southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Flowers bloom from spring through summer, and are white, appearing at the tips of stems. Stems can reach up to three feet long and are green, though sometimes take on purple tones. 

Tradescantia ernestiana (Ernest's Spiderwort, Woodland Spiderwort)
These plants are native to interior highland areas in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Flowers are bluish purple and bloom in springtime. Varieties have white or pink flowers. This species tops out at 12-14 inches tall and foliage is green.

Tradescantia fluminensis (Small Leaf Spiderwort, River Spiderwort, Inch Plant, Speedy Henry, Wandering Willie, Wandering Trad)
These plants crawl along the ground, and produce green leaves and stems. Fleshy stems root at nodes. Flowers are white and bloom in summertime in their native range (South America). These plants are commonly cultivated as houseplants, preferring moist soil and medium, indirect light. These plants are somewhat succulent however, able to store some water in their leaves to carry them over in times of drought.

Tradescantia hirsuticaulis (Hairystem Spiderwort, Hairy Spiderwort)
Native to the south-central United States, this species produces purple to blue flowers and forms a low-growing clump of green foliage.

Tradescantia hirsutiflora (Hairyflower Spiderwort)
Native to the south-central United States, this species produces upright branched stems of green foliage with terminal blue flower clusters.

Tradescantia humilis (Texas Spiderwort)
This species is native to Texas and southern Oklahoma, and was first described by botanist Joseph Nelson Rose in 1899. These plants can reach up to 18 inches tall at maturity, and form basal rosettes of green, hairy foliage. They thrive in sandy and rocky soils, in disturbed areas, and along roadsides and hedgerows.

Tradescantia longipes (Wild Crocus)
Only found in the Ozark Mountains, these plants prefer woodlands and rocky hillsides. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive flowers,. It is best cut back these plants all the way to the ground after flowering fades to neaten up the appearance and encourage a fall rebloom.

Tradescantia mundula (Fuzzy Bunny Tradescantia, Wandering Fuzzy Bunny)
This species is commonly confused with Tradescantia fluminensis, though this species has flattened petals and grooved stems. This species has a few popular cultivars, including those with colorful, variegated foliage such as 'Lisa', 'Tricolor', 'Green Hill', and 'Rainbow'.

Tradescantia occidentalis (Prairie Spiderwort, Western Spiderwort)
This species of Spiderwort is common in northern Mexico, the Great Plains area and in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is considered a threatened species in Canada. Flowers are bluish-purple, and foliage is grassy.

Tradescantia ohiensis (Bluejacket, Ohio Spiderwort)
These plants are native to eastern and central North America, and is the most widely distributed species in the United States. Flowers and shoots are edible, and leaves can be cooked. 

Tradescantia ozarkana (Ozark Spiderwort)
These flowering plants are native to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the south-central United States. Plants reach about 20 inches tall at maturity while flowering, and blooms are white, sometimes blushed pink. Foliage and stems are both green.

Tradescantia pallida (Purple Secretia, Purple-Heart, Purple Queen)
Native to the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, this species produces deep purple foliage and has a climbing, spreading habit. Hardy to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. These plants are commonly used as a groundcover, as hanging plants, and are also kept as indoor houseplants. Popular cultivars include 'Purpurea'.

Tradescantia pinetorum (Pinewoods Spiderwort)
Found in open woodland areas in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, these plants produce purple flowers and have green stems and leaves.

Tradescantia reverchonii (Reverchon's Spiderwort)
This species is native to central and eastern Texas, western areas of Louisiana, and southwestern Arkansas. Flowers are purple to blue and bloom at stems tips. Leaves are green with reddish margins.

Tradescantia sillamontana
This species is one of the most succulent in the entire genus, and forms a very handsome plant. Geometric foliage is grey-green and hairy, and flowers are pink. These plants are native to northeastern Mexico, Spain, and Italy. 

Tradescantia spathacea (Oyster Plant, Boat Lily, Moses-In-The-Cradle)
This species forms a clustered rosette of strappy, stiff green foliage with magenta margins. Undersides of leaves are bright magenta. This species was first described in 1788 and is native to Belize, Guatemala, and southern areas of Mexico. These are widely cultivated as houseplants, and can be grown outdoors in warm, tropical regions. It is considered to be an invasive in Florida. A popularly grown cultivar is 'Sitara'.

Tradescantia subaspera (Zigzag Spiderwort)
These plants are great candidates for shady, natural gardens and produce blue-purple flowers May through September. Stems form a zig-zag pattern, hence the species' common name.

Tradescantia tharpii (Tharp's Spiderwort, Shortstem Spiderwort, Spider Lily)
Great in shaded, natural-style gardens, these plants form clumps of green foliage from which stems appear and support purple flowers that bloom in spring and summertime. These plants are native to the central United States.

Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia Spiderwort, Common Spider Wort, Spider Lily)
Native to the eastern United States, these plants are commonly grown as garden ornamentals, and also love to take up residence along roadsides and railway lines. These plants can adapt to both moist and dry conditions, and produce flowers in purple, white, pink, or blue in summertime.

Tradescantia zanonia (Campella zanonia) (Suelda, Rascadera, Cinta, Canagria, Cascajo Flor)
This evergreen perennial shrub is native to tropical areas in Mexico and Central America. A popular variegated cultivar is 'Mexican Flag' (pictured). Flowers are white, opening from pinkish buds.

Tradescantia zebrina (Silver Inch Plant, Wandering Dude)
Commonly kept as houseplants and used as a groundcover in tropical areas, this species produces silvery foliage with a dark green to purple central stripes and dark margins. When exposed to too much direct sunlight, leaves will lose their variegation. Popular cultivars include 'Purpusii' and 'Quadricolor'.

Caring for Syngonium

Propagation

Problems and Pests

Spaths are susceptible to the following issues and pests:​
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For more information on these problems, including how to correct them, see the following links.
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Gallery
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Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

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