We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4 spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

Tom Mercer wrote:
We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4
spider wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how
to care for them. When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now
they are 24"tall. They have fallen over due to the weight. They
continue to bloom beautiful blue flowers each morning and close at
night. Come this fall what steps need to be taken. Do you cut them
back or let nature take its course?

Google for spiderwort and you will find lots of info.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Spiderwort" is one word.


"Tom Mercer" wrote in message
...

We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4 spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for
them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They
have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue
flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be
taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

cut them back and get yourself a garden grid and put over it. They'll grow
back and thru the grid and bloom a second time. They're perennials. I've
already cut mine back but if you don't they'll seed in other places in your
yard or garden and you can lift them come spring when they come up to a
different spot.

I have a dark blue one, a lighter blue one, once that is white with blush
blue and blue stamens that had the name of Mystic Blue's, and a shocking
magenta pink one that reseeded in a totally different spot where the
original clump was.

Easy to take care of. Garden grids? Lowes or Home Depot for $3.19 each with
three legs on the circle grid and green. Love those things.

madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee zone 7, Sunset zone 36
"Tom Mercer" wrote in message
...

We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4 spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for
them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They
have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue
flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be
taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

Does Spiderwort like sun or shade ?

"Tom Mercer" wrote in message
...

We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4 spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for
them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They
have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue
flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be
taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

Yes, it all depends on which one you have in the large plant group.


"Keith Corwell" wrote in message
...
Does Spiderwort like sun or shade ?

"Tom Mercer" wrote in message
...

We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4
spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for
them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They
have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue
flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be
taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

"Keith Corwell" wrote in message
...
Does Spiderwort like sun or shade ?

I have some in sun, others have reseeded themselves into semi-shady places
and done well. Deep shade they're not too fond of. So the rule of thumb for
Tradescanthia's are semi-shady to sunny
madgardener

"Tom Mercer" wrote in message
...

We recently moved into a new home and discovered that we have 4
spider
wort plants. We never had these before and do not know how to care for
them.
When we moved in they were about 6" tall and now they are 24"tall. They
have
fallen over due to the weight. They continue to bloom beautiful blue
flowers
each morning and close at night. Come this fall what steps need to be
taken.
Do you cut them back or let nature take its course?

"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
. ..
Yes, it all depends on which one you have in the large plant group.

what's really good information, Cereus,something kinda neat is that I not
only have the perennial varieties of Tradescanthia that are hardy for here,
but I apparently have had Callisia fragrans which is a type of Tradescanthia
or spiderwort for decades. And now have another houseplant, the fuzzy Brown
spiderwort. g It's finally thriving in the heat and humidity on the north
balcony with the other shade loving tropicals and what not.
maddie

The brown fuzzy one isn't a Tradescantia. Its Cyanotis kewensis from India.

http://albinopri.cool.ne.jp/leaf/dat...nsis&tid=list3


Siderasis fuscata is brown and fuzzy but it is rosette plant not a creeper.

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plan...s_fuscata.html


*******************

Tradescantia is strictly a New World genus.

Quite a few former Tradescantia are now Callisia or Gibasis, while former
Zebrina, Setcreasea and Rhoeo are now back in Tradescantia.


"madgardener" wrote in message
...

"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
. ..
Yes, it all depends on which one you have in the large plant group.

what's really good information, Cereus,something kinda neat is that I not
only have the perennial varieties of Tradescanthia that are hardy for
here,
but I apparently have had Callisia fragrans which is a type of
Tradescanthia
or spiderwort for decades. And now have another houseplant, the fuzzy
Brown
spiderwort. g It's finally thriving in the heat and humidity on the
north
balcony with the other shade loving tropicals and what not.
maddie

"madgardener" wrote in message
...

"Keith Corwell" wrote in message
...
Does Spiderwort like sun or shade ?

I have some in sun, others have reseeded themselves into semi-shady places
and done well. Deep shade they're not too fond of. So the rule of thumb
for
Tradescanthia's are semi-shady to sunny
madgardener

I also find that they like even moisture and don't do well in dry areas.

Believe it or not, there are a few that grow well under relatively dry
conditions. Tradescantia pallida, T.hirta, Callisia navicularis and Cyanotis
somaliensis for example.


"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .

"madgardener" wrote in message
...

"Keith Corwell" wrote in message
...
Does Spiderwort like sun or shade ?

I have some in sun, others have reseeded themselves into semi-shady
places
and done well. Deep shade they're not too fond of. So the rule of thumb
for
Tradescanthia's are semi-shady to sunny
madgardener

I also find that they like even moisture and don't do well in dry areas.

"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
. ..
Believe it or not, there are a few that grow well under relatively dry
conditions. Tradescantia pallida, T.hirta, Callisia navicularis and
Cyanotis
somaliensis for example.

That's good to know. I have T. virginiana. I will check out the others.

nope that's not it............Siderasis "Brown Spiderwort" Siderasis fuscata
from Brazil. Pyrrheima Hassk. Commelinaceae. One sp. a per. herb, native
to Brazil, sts. short, underground, leaves in a rosette, covered with dense
rust-colored hairs, flowers in unpaired cincinni, subtended by small bracts,
on short hairy peduncles from the crown, sepals and petals separate, stamens
6, filamenta glabrous, ovary hairy, 3 celled, each cell with 2 ovules.
Fuscata (Lodd) H. E. Morre (pyrrheima fuscata) leaves elliptic, to 8 inches
long 3 inches wide, dark green above with whitish center, purplish-red
beneath, flowers nearly violet to rose-purple, about 1 inch across.
Resembles the flowers of Tradescanthia, or Spiderwort.
"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
. ..
The brown fuzzy one isn't a Tradescantia. Its Cyanotis kewensis from
India.


http://albinopri.cool.ne.jp/leaf/dat...nsis&tid=list3


Siderasis fuscata is brown and fuzzy but it is rosette plant not a
creeper.


http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plan...s_fuscata.html


*******************

Tradescantia is strictly a New World genus.

Quite a few former Tradescantia are now Callisia or Gibasis, while former
Zebrina, Setcreasea and Rhoeo are now back in Tradescantia.


"madgardener" wrote in message
...

"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
. ..
Yes, it all depends on which one you have in the large plant group.

what's really good information, Cereus,something kinda neat is that I
not
only have the perennial varieties of Tradescanthia that are hardy for
here,
but I apparently have had Callisia fragrans which is a type of
Tradescanthia
or spiderwort for decades. And now have another houseplant, the fuzzy
Brown
spiderwort. g It's finally thriving in the heat and humidity on the
north
balcony with the other shade loving tropicals and what not.
maddie