Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia Spiderwort)

Photograph taken by on Friday, June 20, 2014
Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia Spiderwort)

Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia Spiderwort)

Two pictures today for the price of one and hopefully worth the price of admission. I really like Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia spiderwort). It’s a very vigorous grower but it doesn’t take over the garden. It’s very happy in our climate, not needing much in the way of special attention or soil conditions. And it blooms over a long period with deep, dark, slightly purple blue flowers. They open in the morning and in the evening are all closed up, only to be open again the next morning. I also love the the blue stamen hairs with the bright yellow anthers.

Honey Bee on Tradescantia Flowers

Honey Bee on Tradescantia Flowers

I went out to take pictures this morning and thought I’d get a view across the flowers, as in the first picture here. I think it turned out quite well and really shows the feathery stamen hairs well. They are unique, as far as I know, in that they change color to pink when when exposed to radiation. I don’t know how sensitive they are, so don’t know if they can act as a canary in a coal mine, but I think it’s a cool fact.

I also enjoyed watching a honey bee going from flower to flower, so figured I better get some pictures of that, as well, and I’m please with the results.

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