FoliageSpiderwort
Tradescantia virginiana
Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) is a medium-growing perennial, hardy in USDA zones 4-9, that matures to about 1.5-3 ft × 1-1.5 ft. It does best in part shade and full shade with medium water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-wet soil. Expect blue, purple and white blooms in spring and summer. It attracts bees, butterflies and pollinators, stands up well to black walnut, dry soil and poor soil.
- USDA zones
- 4-9
- Sun
- Part shade, Full shade
- Water
- Medium
- Mature size
- 1.5-3 ft × 1-1.5 ft
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-wet
- Bloom color
- Blue, Purple, White
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Pollinators
- Tough against
- Black walnut, Dry soil, Poor soil, Wet soil
- Native to
- Eastern United States
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Spiderwort is hardy to about -30°F (estimated from USDA zone 4), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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