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Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic
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Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort)
The genus name of this showy native* honors naturalist John Tradescant. Its common name may derive from several characteristics: its crouching spider-like leaf arrangement, web-like flower filaments, or web-like sap secretions from cut stems. The Virginia Native Plant Society honored Spiderwort as Wildflower of the Year in 2008.
*It is native in DC and uncommon in the DE Piedmont. In MD, it is scattered mainly in the mountains and Piedmont and is mostly found in the southern part of PA. In VA, it is frequent in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont (although it is found in Fairfax and Loudoun counties) and inner Coastal Plain, and rare in the outer Coastal Plain. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants:
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets