Tradescantia andersoniana JS Brainstorm - Spiderwort

Tradescantia x andersoniana 'JS Brainstorm', also known as Spiderwort, is a competitive variety with many continuous magenta-purple flowers for 6 months, from June to November, longer than any other Tradescantia. Its numerous buds are a beautiful, ornamental dark purple. This upright plant is particularly hardy, down to at least -20°C, and resistant to all climates. It prefers full sun or partial shade in moist soil.

Tradescantia x andersoniana 'JS Brainstorm' is a hybrid whose origins are in the two Americas. This perennial plant belongs to the Commelinaceae family. Selected by Jan Spruyt in Belgium, this cultivar forms an upright clump, 50 cm (20in) tall and 40 cm (16in) wide. Its glossy dark green foliage resembles grasses, consisting of single, long and narrow, arching leaves, tapering to a point and sheathed on a tubular stem. Flowering begins in June and lasts until November if the soil remains moist with flat, vibrant magenta-purple flowers, composed of 3 wide petals, with contrasting yellow stamens. They open in pairs and are carried in small bouquets or terminal cymes at the top of stiff floral stems. Each flower only 'lives' for a few hours, but they continually renew themselves above the foliage. The deciduous foliage emerges in spring and dries up in winter.

Plant Tradescantia JS Brainstorm in moderately rich, rather moist and well-drained soil. In dry periods, the foliage may partially disappear to promote the development of new flowering shoots. To ensure continuous flowering until winter, care must be taken to remove faded flowers. Its roots are fleshy, allowing the clump to expand rapidly and the plant eventually spreads in colonies. Plant Tradescantia JS Brainstorm in the garden, in rockeries, at the edge of flower beds. This perennial thrives in wet areas on the banks of streams or ponds, with Carex, Persicaria, Astilbes, Filipendules, and Perennial Geraniums. It also grows well in pots, in partial shade, with regular watering.