Virginia spiderwort

Tradescantia virginiana L.

light
Any light
water
Medium
tall
69 cm
wide
38 cm

Commelinaceae

Also called Virginia Spiderwort

Formerly Ephemerum congestum, Knowlesia spicata, Leiandra divaricata, Tradescantia barbata, and 17 more

When it flowers

Not known yet in the tropics: too few flowering observations to read a season from.

PetsNC State Extension lists it as toxic to dogs and cats (25 Oct 2026)
PeopleNC State Extension lists it as mildly poisonous (leaves, sap) (25 Oct 2026)

If a child, a pet or anyone may have eaten a plant, contact a doctor or vet straight away, or call the National Poisons Information Centre (AIIMS, New Delhi) on 1800 116 117, free and open 24 hours.

Something wrong with it?

About it

Grows as
PerennialKew's checklist, not yet checked
Climate
TemperateKew's checklist, not yet checked
Wild in
Ontario to EC. & E. U.S.A., CubaKew's checklist, not yet checked
Light
Sun or shadeRead from NC State Extension, one source
Height
46 cm to 91 cmRead from NC State Extension, one source
Spread
30 cm to 46 cmRead from NC State Extension, one source
Water
Average: moist, well drainedRead from NC State Extension, one source
Flowers
White, purple, blueRead from NC State Extension, one source
Coldest it survives
-34.4 °C (USDA zone 4a)Read from NC State Extension, one source

Not known yet: heat, hottest it survives.

In other languages (4)

Chinese
无毛紫露草, 北美紫露草
Czech
podeňka virginská
Welsh
llysiau‘r pryf copyn
Dutch
Eendagsbloem

Where this comes from

A fact “checked by a majority of its sources” was settled by a vote of the pages it was read from, not by a person reading it; one marked “one source” rests on that page alone. Anything else not marked checked has not been checked yet. Where nothing is known, the page says so rather than guess.