Spiderworts (Tradescantia species)

A few words about Spiderworts.

Tradescantia are beautiful flowers – but our native species (Ohio Spiderwort, Virginia Spiderwort, and Prairie Spiderwort) have the unsettling habit of suddenly going dormant after they flower, just as the heat of summer is coming on. The end effect is that folks think that their Spiderworts are dying in early summer – they are not! Be patient, and they will resprout from their robust root system in time. Depending on how hot the weather is, the summer dormancy period can be short (as it usually is with Ohio Spiderwort) or long (as it sometimes is with Prairie Spiderwort). Be patient and keep an eye out for new sprouts!