Spiderwort, an underappreciated native wildflower, can easily find a home in a garden. As both a wildflower and a garden plant, it has some of the qualities of a middle child – independent, easy going, determined, adaptable, and taken for granted. Yes, both the photographer and I were middle children and have come to embrace this plant. It is a steady bloomer from spring into summer and has become a mainstay in our garden.

Spiderworts grow in clumps, spreading through horizontal rhizomes or roots.

The flowers develop in clusters at the tips of stems, and vary in color from white to deep purple. White is uncommon in my experience.

Each flower lasts one day, opening in the morning and closing in the mid-day heat, placing it in the Dayflower Family. But the plant is a prolific bloomer. One specimen in our mixed border this morning had 60 flowers on it. When you consider that it will blossom for 6 weeks of the year, that is a lot of flowers, perhaps thousands on that one plant.

Despite being a fan of Spiderwort, and having it in our garden for over 30 years, I never really studied it until contemplating this article. Like many things in nature, the flowers are fascinating when seen up close. In this photo you can see six stamens, the male reproductive structures, that are topped with pollen producing, yellow anthers. In the center of that group is the pistil, the female reproductive structure of the flower, that is waiting to receive pollen transported in by a visiting pollinator.

But what was new to me, or at least very underappreciated, was the tangle of hairs arising off the stamens. These are a string of cells that resemble a chain of beads, with each “bead” being a single cell. There are several theories for their function, including making it easier for pollinators to land, increasing the likelihood that a successful transfer of pollen, and pollination, will take place. Others have suggested that the filaments may play a structural role, allowing the stamens to withstand storms better.

An interesting item that I found when reading about Spiderwort is how the nature of the flower petals change when they finish blooming and close – my references say that they take on a “jelly” quality. That comment was too inviting to pass up, so I rubbed some petals of spent flowers between my finger and thumb. Rather than the descriptive “jelly”, I would characterize them as “amazingly slimy”. It was a fun little exercise and I would really like to see a six year old experience it.

There are many species of Spiderwort in the U.S., with the two most common being Virginia Spiderwort and Ohio Spiderwort. Virginia Spiderwort, which we have in our garden, tends to grow in the semi-shade of deciduous forest edges, while Ohio Spiderwort is typically found in the the sun of the Midwestern prairie.

I have seen two theories on the origin of the Spiderwort name. One is that the angle that the leaf arises off the stem is similar to the fold in a spider’s leg. The other suggests that the stamen hairs resemble the silk of a spider web.

Spiderwort is important to many species of wildlife. It is a nectar plant for many types of bees and butterflies, and it is a host for the larvae of some moth species. In addition, the leaves are fodder for deer, rabbits, Box Turtles and Wood Tortoises.

In our garden, Spiderwort is a bit of a vagabond, stealthily finding three other locations in the semi-shade that meets its needs. It is not invasive, and does not ask for the limelight, but rather is a outstanding supporting actor, smoothing out the edges of our garden’s performance.

Photos by Peggy Juengling Burns