Tradescantia ohiensis                                            Photo Fiona Sunquist ©

This spiderwort is one of the most common wildflowers found in the Eastern United States and grows throughout Florida. It prefers sandy soils, and is found along roadsides, in fields, open woods and disturbed areas. The leaves are grass-like and the violet-blue flowers have three petals and 6 hairy yellow-tipped stamens.

Spiderwort flowers in early spring, each of the blue flowers lasts only a day, and the whole plant wilts very quickly if you pick it. In some places spiderwort is called ‘cow slobbers’ because of the slimy substance in the stem.

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