Ohio spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Blue three-petaled flowers that last a single morning each.
Hardiness: zones 4 to 9
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 3 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
From: E. and central North America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Great Plains & Texas. Hardy in zones 4 to 9.
The story
Each spiderwort flower opens at dawn and has melted to a drop of blue jelly by afternoon, but there are dozens of buds in line behind it. The stamens are covered in tiny hairs that students still use to watch living cells under a microscope.
Planting
Sun or part shade, in almost any soil.
Growing
Cut it to the ground when it looks tired in midsummer; it grows back fresh.
Harvest and use
Pollen for bumblebees every morning for six weeks. The flowers and young leaves are edible.
What to watch for
It self-sows. Flowers are closed by the time you get home from work.
See if Ohio spiderwort fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home