- Trimast flower: flower, origin and characteristics
- The most beautiful Tradescantia species
- Plant spiderwort: location, time and procedure
- Care of Tradescantia
- Is Tradescantia hardy?
- Propagating Spiderworts
- Is spiderwort poisonous?
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The spiderwort not only embellishes the banks of a pond and beds, but is also a real eye-catcher in every apartment and every bed with its magnificent foliage and bright flowers.
The spiderwort (Tradescantia) is characterized above all by its exotic appearance and at the same time its ease of care. In this article you will learn which species are suitable for the house or garden and which small steps you can take to properly care for the spiderwort.
Trimast flower: flower, origin and characteristics
Coming from South and Central America, the spiderwort reached Europe by sea in the mid-17th century. It is also known as God's Eye or Wild Heinrich and belongs to the Commelinaceae (Commelinaceae). It is a genus of plants that includes about 65 different species. So spiderworts can grow in the garden as perennial, lush perennials. Other species are popular as houseplants in traffic light pots because of their drooping shoots. The leaves are sessile, tapering and, depending on the variety, lanceolate or pointed-ovate. The leaf color varies from light to dark green depending on the variety. Some varieties have a particularly decorative red underside of the leaves, which is why these varieties of Spiderwort are only grown because of the beautiful foliage. There are also species and varieties of spiderwort with multicolored leaves, such as zebra herb. The flowers of the Tradescantia species are mostly blue, violet, white or pink. The flowering period varies from May to September, depending on the variety. The single, small flower only blooms for a few days, but this is not noticeable due to the high number of flowers and the rapid rushing of buds and flowers. If the spiderwort grows outdoors, the small flowers also offer bees a rich supply of pollen and nectar.
The most beautiful Tradescantia species
The genus of spiderworts is extremely diverse. The different looking Tradescantia species range fromsmall-leaved houseplants to reed-like perennials that like to grow at the water's edge. Here we briefly present the most beautiful species.
Madam flowers as houseplants
Mexican Spiderwort (Tradescantia pallida): The Mexican Spiderwort is native to Mexico and is characterized by a striking stem and leaf color . The reddish to violet coloring of the Mexican spiderwort also gives it the name red leaf. In order not to lose the impressive color of the leaves, the Mexican spiderwort needs full sun as a houseplant.
White-flowered God's Eye (Tradescantia fluminensis): The white-flowered God's Eye, also called Rio Spiderwort, comes from the tropical parts of South America and grows squat with hanging shoots. Leaves and stems are glossy and striped in solid green to green-white. Flowering is rare in this species. However, it is excellent as a decorative hanging plant indoors.
Zebraweed (Tradescantia zebrina): Named for its distinctive appearance, zebraweed is native to Mexico and Colombia. The leaves are green and silver-grey, occasionally streaked with pink. The zebra herb is ideal as a houseplant in a bright but not full sun.
Purple-leaved Spiderwort (Tradescantia spathacea): Purple-leaved Spiderwort is an evergreen Tradescantia growing in rosettesspecies, which is very popular because of its striking bracts. The leaves are green to green-white striped on top and red on the underside. It is often confused with the dragon tree because of this coloring.
Hardy Spiderworts
The hardy spiderworts can also handle low temperatures and are therefore also suitable for planting in the garden.
Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginia): The Virginia Spiderwort is a common ornamental plant in parks and gardens. She is fromalso from South and Central America and is one of the frost-tolerant and therefore hardy Tradescantia species. The leaves and stems are long and narrow, resembling reed leaves. Spiderwort can spread through the rootstock over time.
Garden Spiderwort (Tradescantia x andersoniana): The garden tradescantia is also frost hardy and can to be planted in the garden. There are different varieties that differ in the color of the flowers. The 'Bilberry Ice' variety, for example, is particularly pretty with its petals colored white and soft purple. The 'Sweet Kate' variety, on the other hand, flowers in a very dark purple.
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis): As a prairie wild species, the Ohio spiderwort can handle drought even better than its relative Garden Spiderwort. The flowers shine in a bright blue-violet.
Plant spiderwort: location, time and procedure
The easy-care spiderwort does not generally make any great demands on its location. If the location is chosen appropriately from the beginning, depending on the species, the spiderwort grows without much care. Many Tradescantia cultivars and species are not frost tolerant and are therefore only kept as house plants. The hardy species can be planted outside in beds or at the edge of a pond as an exotic eye-catcher.
Marigold as a houseplant
The foliage of the spiderwort makes it a visual highlight as a houseplant. If you keep the Spiderwort hanging in a traffic light pot, you can perfectly showcase its long shoots. The temperature should correspond to the normal room temperature of 20 to 25 °C. Place the spiderwort in a light but not sunny location. In summer, the spiderworts can also be kept on the balcony or terrace. Here it is also important to pay attention to a location that does not expose the plant to full sun. In winter, spiderworts like to be cooler, but never below 10°C.
As a houseplant or potted plant on the balcony, the spiderwort needs a substrate with selected organic and mineral components. A substrate made of compost-based potting soil, to which sand and coarse pieces of bark are added, is ideal. This ensures adequate ventilation. Due to the high humus content, our Plantura organic compost is ideal for providing the plants with sufficient nutrients. A drainage layer on the bottom of the pot, for example made of expanded clay or potsherds, helps to avoid waterlogging.
Tip: The patterned or reddish varieties require more light than the solid green varieties.
Planting spiderwort in the garden
The Spiderwort can be used as a lush perennial in gardens, parks and beds as well as for planting at the edges of ponds and streams. Only varieties with sufficient frost hardiness are suitable for planting in the garden.
Garden spiderworts are adaptable perennials for almost any light condition. However, locations in full sun and full shade should be avoided. In the garden as well as in pots, spiderworts prefer a location on humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil. The soil should be able to store enough water, but not be prone to waterlogging. Since they like fresh, moist soil, hardy spiderworts also feel at home on the bank of a garden pond.
Young spiderworts should be planted in the garden from mid-May so that late frosts do not weaken the small plants. Alternatively, planting in autumn is also possible. Those who prefer to grow the three-masted plants themselves from seed should start in mid-March before they can be planted out eight weeks later. The three master plant prefers a single planting with a distance of 20 to 30 cm. Since most species tend to grow quickly and bushy, gaps in the bed close quickly. If the plant overgrows the bed, we recommend cutting it off regularly.
Hint: Spiderwort is a plant that snails despise.
Care of Tradescantia
Caring for the Tradescantia is not particularly complicated, since the main thing is to ensure that there is enough water. If a little fertilizer is added, the spiderwort feels completely at ease.
Caring for spiderworts in the room
Maxworts grown as houseplants do not need pruning. However, if the plant grows too large, it can be trimmed at any time. It is important to ensure that no more than a third of the shoot length is shortened. Old buds could be removed periodically to encourage bud replenishment. However, it is important not to remove the flowering site itself, as this is where the new flowers will sprout again.
Indoor spiderworts should be supplied with a suitable fertilizer about once a month during the growth phase from April to August. In order to optimally supply roots and leaves with nutrients, our Plantura organic room and green plant fertilizer can be added to the irrigation water at regular intervals. Our mainly organic fertilizer contains the nutrients nitrogen and potassium in the ideal ratio for ornamental foliage plants such as Tradescantia zebrina.
The soil should be kept evenly moist. As soon as the substrate dries on the surface, it is poured with lime-free water. Excess water in the coaster should be removed after approximately 15 minutes.
Caring for spiderworts in the garden
However,Tradescantia species growing in the garden should be cut back annually. The best time for this is autumn, when all the flowers and leaves have withered. When all the leaves have dried up, the spiderwort can be shortened to a height of 10 cm. Even with outdoor plants, removing old blooms can encourage a longer flowering period.
Fertilization of the three master plant is only rarely necessary when using optimal soil substrate. In the garden, compost or compost should be added regularly in spring.
Watering the spiderwort should be done at regular intervals to allow the plant to absorb enough water. It also depends on the location and the weather. Spiderworts that stand on the edge of a pond need to be watered less often than those on drier soil. Water about 2-3 times a week and finger test the soil before watering.
Is Tradescantia hardy?
Certain hardy species of Spiderwort can also be planted in beds or tubs in the garden all year roundwill. These include, for example, the garden spiderwort (Tradescantia xandersoniana), the Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis ) or the Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginia). No protective measures are necessary to overwinter these spiderworts, as the frost-hardy species tolerate temperatures down to -20 °C.
The non-hardy indoor spiderworts, such as the purple-leaved spiderwort (Tradescantia discolor) or the white-flowered god's eye (Tradescantia fluminensis) can be overwintered at warm room temperatures or slightly cooler at at least 10 °C. Both indoor and outdoor plants should stop fertilizing from autumn. Watering of indoor plants should also be reduced in winter to prevent waterlogging and rot.
Propagating Spiderworts
The easiest method of propagating Tradescantia species in the division of older perennials. However, cuttings or seeds can also be used to propagate spiderworts.
The best time to divide a spiderwort is in spring or autumn. In general, it is advisable to divide large plants in pots every three years, otherwise the pot will quickly become too small. The plant can be roughly divided with a spade. Then dead roots or plant parts should be removed and both plants should be planted again in a suitable substrate and watered generously. With this method of propagation you get plants of the same variety and therefore with the same characteristics.
If you want to grow several plants at once, you can propagate with cuttings all year round. To do this, strong shoots of about 10 cm in length are cut off and the lower leaves are removed. The cuttings can either be placed in a glass of water or directly in the ground. Depending on the pot size, there is room for up to 8 cuttings next to each other. Compost or universal soil is suitable for the young plants, with a third of sand mixed in. In a bright and warm location at 16 to 18 °C, roots are formed quickly. When the first new leaves appear, the plants are isolated and cared for like older plants.
Propagation via ripe seeds is also possible. Outdoor plants often multiply by self-seeding in the bed. Plants from seeds should be on the windowsill from mid-Marchbe preferred. A temperature of around 20°C is ideal for germination. The germination time is usually 10 to 20 days. Depending on the species, the plants can then be repotted as indoor or outdoor plants.
Is spiderwort poisonous?
Species of Spiderwort are poisonous, but only to a very small extent. They are therefore considered harmless.
Tip: Indoors it is advisable to hang up the spiderwort as a traffic light so that children or pets do not accidentally eat parts of the plant.
Madeworts are also ideal for planting along banks. We present 20 pond plants, from the bank to the deep water zone.