SPIDER-WORT
Family COMMELINACEAE
Tradescantia virginiana
Perennial
A genus containing both hardy and tender species.
Tradescantia virginiana being the most favoured
for gardens and a native of North America.
It was named for John Tradescant, gardener to
Charles I. the leaves are produced freely and
are narrow and arching, forming a generous tuft
from which the leaf-clad flower-stems rise to
a height of one to two feet, carrying umbels of
several flowers, one to two inches across, and
of an attractive violet-blue colour that varies
in depth.
There are various forms, such as
var. alba, white;
var. atrosanguinea, dark red;
var. caerulea plena, double-flowered violet-blue;
var. coccinea, bright red;
var. violacea, purple-blue to violet.
There are also a number of worthy garden forms
of which “J. C. Weguelin”, of clear
lavender-blue, and “Leonora” of rich
violet-blue, are first class.
A most accommodating plant in cultivation, thriving
under dry as well as wet conditions and in sun
or shade.
Propagate by division or from seed.
The flowering season is from June until autumn.
Trandescantia – Spiderwort
Hardy Perennial.
Eighteen inches.
Flowers white, blue and purple, July to September.
A very hardy and accommodating plant, almost
careless as to soil.
It has grassy foliage, something
like that of the slender-leaved Irises.
It forms
a strong tuft, and flowers freely through the
summer.
Plant in March, keep down weeds, trim
off the dead litter in autumn, and top-dress,
not over, but about the crown and stems.
The best varieties are:
Trandescantia Virginica: fine purple, with gold anthers.
Trandescantia V. alba major: large white flowers.
Trandescantia V. cærulea: light blue.
|
