Tradescantia andersoniana Bilberry Ice - Spiderwort

Tradescantia x andersoniana 'Bilberry Ice'  is a charming plant with large white flowers infused and speckled with mauve, subtly enhanced with yellow stamens. These watercolour flowers renew themselves above a tuft of narrow and pointed leaves for many weeks in summer. Hardy and easy to grow in wet soil, this perennial will bring a pastel and refined touch to the borders and semi-shaded edges of the garden, or as a border for a pond. It also grows well in pots.

'Bilberry Ice' is a horticultural hybrid of Tradescantia  whose origins are in the Americas (Tradescantia ohiensis, T.subaspera, T virginiana). All these plants belong to the commelinaceae family. It is a herbaceous, deciduous perennial whose above-ground growth emerges in spring and disappears in winter. This forms a dense tuft about 45 cm (18in) high and spreads over 50 cm (20in). Its dark green glossy foliage is somewhat similar to that of grasses, composed of single, long and narrow, arched leaves, tapering to a point, sheathed on a tubular stem. The flowering begins in June and lasts all summer if the soil remains wet. It takes the form of flat flowers, composed of 3 wide petals, with contrasting yellow stamens, original in their simplicity, very pure but ephemeral. They open in pairs, carried in small bouquets or terminal cymes at the top of stiff floral stems. Each flower only 'lives' for a few hours, but they renew themselves continuously above the foliage.

Easy to grow and maintain, you can plant Tradescantia andersoniana 'Bilberry Ice' in humus-rich, moist to wet soil. This plant prefers this type of situation, and will fully express itself in a semi-shaded exposure to highlight its pastel colours. In full sun, regular and abundant watering will be essential. In moist rock gardens, at the foot of a shaded wall, in woodland areas, or even in borders, its flowers will brighten up all the small shaded areas. This perennial will thrive on the banks of streams or ponds, in the company of Carex, tiarelles, Persicaria, Primula bulleyana or Ophiopogon japonicus. It also grows well in pots, in semi-shade, with regular watering.