Tradescantia andersoniana Blushing Bride - Spiderwort

Tradescantia x andersoniana 'Blushing Bride', is also known as the Virginia Spiderwort. This creeping perennial plant stands out with its unique variegated pink foliage that adds colour to the garden. It blooms for a long period in white. Delicate and robust at the same time, it is hardy to -10°C (14°F) with protection, has vigorous growth and thrives in poor and moist soil. It can be planted outside with winter protection, in a moist rockery or as a border. It is also an excellent indoor plant.



Tradescantia 'Blushing Bride' is a hybrid with origins in both Americas. The Virginia Spiderwort belongs to the Commelinaceae family and forms a creeping clump that reaches 30 cm (12in) in height, with the tips of the stems standing up and spreading out over 50 cm (20in).
Its green foliage resembles Commelina, and is both broad and triangular, emerging in spring and showing pink spots at the base of each leaf. These pink spots turn white on mature leaves, further enriching the variegation of the foliage. Flowering begins in June and lasts throughout the summer with discreet and ephemeral white flowers, carried in umbels at the top of upright stems. The yellow stamens contrast beautifully with the colour of the petals. Each flower only 'lives' for a few hours, but they are continually renewed.

Easy to grow and maintain, you can plant Tradescantia 'Blushing Bride' in poor soil, preferably moist but well-drained. This plant can adapt to a sunny exposure, but the colours of the foliage will be more contrasting in shade. During dry periods, the foliage may partially disappear, allowing the vegetation to be cut back to encourage the development of new flowering shoots. To ensure continuous flowering until winter remove faded flowers. Its roots are fleshy, allowing the clump to expand quickly and the plant will eventually naturalize itself. Its hardiness can be compromised, so it is advisable to mulch the crown before severe frosts. The young shoots are susceptible to damage from snails and slugs, so make sure to protect them.
 
You can plant Tradescantia Blushing Bride in the garden, in rockeries, or at the base of a shaded wall, or even as borders. Its variegated foliage will brighten up an understory in a naturalized area. This perennial will thrive in moist areas along streams or ponds, alongside astilbes, meadowsweets, trollius, and perennial geraniums. It is also an excellent indoor plant, it will do well in a pot with moderate watering and only requires a bright exposure to thrive.


When the stems are cut, a viscous secretion is exuded, forming silky threads after hardening (like a spider's web), hence its common name of Spiderworts.
The genus name pays tribute to John Tradescant (1570-1638) and his son John Tradescant (1608-1662), successive botanists and gardeners of Charles I of England. The Andersoniana group brings together hybrids of T. virginiana, subaspera T. and T. ohiensis.