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Tradescantia pinetorum
Tradescantia pinetorum Greene
Pinewoods Spiderwort, Pine Spiderwort
Commelinaceae (Spiderwort Family)
Synonym(s): Aneilema pinetorum
USDA Symbol: TRPI
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Clusters of blue-purple, 3-petaled flowers atop several lightly but roughly hairy stems that are mostly unbranched and erect but often bent and leaning at knee-like nodes.
This species and Western Spiderwort (T. occidentalis) were used by Native Americans as a cooked vegetable. Western Spiderwort, which grows from Montana south to Arizona and east to North Dakota and Texas, has smooth stems with several joints and bright blue to nearly rose-colored flowers. Wright's Spiderwort (T. wrightii), found on limestone slopes from central New Mexico to western Texas, has smooth stems in tufts, only about 6" (15 cm) high, and a few glandular hairs on the sepals and individual flower stalks.
The genus is named after John Tradescant (1608-1662) who served as gardener to Charles I of England.
Tradescantia species will hybridize in just about any combination.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Leaf Margin: Entire
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 15 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Blue , PurpleBloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: AZ , NMNative Distribution: Southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Open brush and woods.
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Bibliography
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Tradescantia pinetorum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Tradescantia pinetorum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tradescantia pinetorum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-03-21Research By: TWC Staff