Choosing planting

5 Tradescantia, or Miseries, with blue or purple flowers

The most beautiful varieties

Contents

Modified the 15 February 2026 by Arthur 5 min. Difficulty: Débutant

Tradescantia andersoniana (virginiana), commonly known as Virginia Ephemeral or, alternatively, nicknamed “misery”, is a hardy deciduous perennial, ideal for brightening small shaded areas of the garden. Its three-petalled, watercolor-like flowers bloom above a tuft of strap-shaped, pendulous leaves for many weeks in summer. They display delicate hues speckled with golden stamens. This easy-to-grow plant, with dense, luxuriant foliage, forms compact and elegant clumps.

To grow it successfully, provide soil that does not dry out in summer and a site in full sun or partial shade. In partial shade, it performs particularly well and can be paired with other perennials that prefer moist soil, ideal for woodland borders, cool rockeries or riverbank edges. The Virginia Ephemeral can also be grown in pots to brighten a terrace or balcony with a touch of pastel colour and delicacy.

If cultivars offer different colours, blue-flowered varieties are particularly appreciated, opening in blue-mauve, sky blue and even bluish-violet. Discover our selection of five best blue- or mauve-flowered Tradescantia varieties!

Difficulty

The Tradescantia 'Zwanenburg Blue'

TheTradescantia x andersoniana ‘Zwanenburg Blue’ is remarkable for its flowering of a deep, vibrant blue-violet. Its flowers appear in abundance from June to September. Each flower comprises three delicate petals arranged in a star shape, and three sepals. The yellow stamens contrast with the blue of the petals, adding a touch of light to the heart of the flower. Although each flower lasts only a few hours, this flowering repeats throughout the summer, attracting pollinators. The foliage is formed of leaves that are lanceolate to ovate, with entire margins and a slightly fleshy texture. They are a deep, glossy green, creating a nice contrast with the blue flowers.

The stems are sturdy and can reach 60–80 cm in height. The plant forms compact, well-branched clumps. Its elegant habit and moderate size make it an excellent candidate for borders of beds, pots, semi-shaded areas, or pond margins, where it will thrive surrounded by the bright Carex elata ‘Aurea’ and Iris ensata ‘Illumination’, a Japanese water iris with vibrant blue-violet flowering.

Blue flowers of Tradescantia

The Tradescantia ‘Bilberry Ice’

Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Bilberry Ice’ stands out for its magnificent blue flowers, which appear in abundance from late spring to early autumn. Flowering begins in June and lasts through the summer if the soil remains cool. Each flower, consisting of three delicate petals, displays a deep lavender-blue hue, enhanced by paler shades toward the centre. The flowers, with yellow stamens, are borne on slender and elegant stems and appear in succession for four months. The flowering is particularly generous and ongoing, throughout the summer season.

Ribbon-like foliage of Tradescantia ‘Bilberry Ice’ is as striking as its flowers. The green, narrow, pointed leaves form a dense and elegant clump 40–60 cm tall.

This cultivar will lend a soft, delicate pastel touch to fresh rockeries and semi-shaded borders of the garden, or along a pond edge, as it prefers humus-bearing soils, cool to moist. It also thrives in pots, bringing a touch of freshness to your terrace or balcony.

Plant this Tradescantia alongside a Phlox maculata ‘Natasha’ with pink lilac flowers edged in white.

The flowering of Tradescantia 'Bilberry Ice'

The Tradescantia ‘Ocean Blue’

The flowers of Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Ocean Blue’ display a very delicate pale powder-blue, with a heart highlighted by fine bright yellow stamens. Flowering mainly from May to September, bringing a unique brightness to displays. These ephemeral blooms renew themselves daily, ensuring a continuous display throughout the summer. The linear, slightly arching, glossy green foliage also contributes to its appeal. This variety forms compact, dense tufts about 60 cm across in all directions.

Tradescantia ‘Ocean Blue’ thrives in moist soils, whether in a rock garden, woodland shade or border. Its celestial flowering brings a touch of light to shaded areas. It pairs wonderfully with Symphytum azureum for a subtle palette of blues and with the lavender-blue of the Phlox divaricata ‘Chattahoochee’.

The pale blue flowers of Tradescantia 'Ocean Blue'

Tradescantia ‘Little Doll’

The Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Little Doll’ stands out for its small habit and its long, abundant pale-blue flowering, which generally extends from June to September. The star-shaped flowers, arranged in terminal clusters, are composed of three delicate petals and three sepals, characteristic of the Commelinaceae family.

The dark green foliage is particularly notable for its neat appearance. Unlike many other Tradescantia varieties, it holds up well throughout the season. The leaves are linear and narrow, with a slightly fleshy texture.

The very compact habit of Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Little Doll’ makes it an excellent choice for small gardens, containers in partial shade or borders. This plant forms dense clumps of upright stems, generally reaching a height of 30 to 40 cm and a similar width. It thrives particularly well in cool and semi-shaded areas of the garden, or along a pond border, where it benefits from a moist and sheltered environment.

In cool woodland shade, this charming Virginia spring ephemeral will thrive alongside a Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’ and Muscari latifolium, a small bulb crowned with blue and purple bi-coloured flowers.

Pale mauve Tradescantia flowers

Tradescantia 'Isis'

‘Isis’ delights with its large deep-blue-violet flowers of rare intensity. These flowers, with three delicate petals, bloom throughout the summer, bringing a vibrant splash of colour to the garden. As with other Tradescantia, each bloom is ephemeral, but quickly replaced by another, thus ensuring a generous and prolonged flowering.

Bright green foliage accompanies this spectacular flowering. The leaves, lanceolate and slightly fleshy, form a generous clump about 40 cm tall. This plant spreads to about 50 cm.

In the garden, it thrives along the bank of a stream as well as in the rose garden. Tradescantia ‘Isis’ pairs beautifully with plants in complementary colours. Its deep blue contrasts with the bright yellows, those of the Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ variegated with green and gold and with the Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ or also ‘August Moon’, both with green foliage accented with anise-tinged and gold tones.

Tradescantia with blue-violet flowers