Tradescantia Pink Chablis - Spiderwort

Tradescantia (Andersoniana Group) Pink Chablis or spiderwort, charms with its watercolour flowers, with three petals infused with bright pink and edged with pale pink to cream, enhanced by purple stamens and bright yellow anthers. They bloom for long weeks in summer above a clump of narrow, pointed leaves. Delicate and robust at the same time, this deciduous perennial grows in moist soil where it brings softness and refinement to the borders and partly shaded areas of the garden, or near water features.

Tradescantia andersoniana Pink Chablis is a horticultural hybrid whose origins are found in the Americas (Tradescantia ohiensis, T.subaspera, T virginiana). All these plants belong to the family of spiderworts. It is a herbaceous perennial with a deciduous root, with above-ground growth emerging in spring and disappearing in winter. This short-lived perennial forms a dense clump about 35 cm (14in) tall and spreads to 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in). Its glossy medium green foliage resembles grasses. It consists of simple, long and narrow arched leaves, tapered to a point and sheathed on a tubular stem. Flowering begins in June and lasts all summer if the soil remains moist with flat flowers, composed of 3 wide petals, with purple stamens, unique and pure, but short-lived. They open in pairs and are carried in small clusters or terminal cymes at the top of stiff floral stems. Each flower 'lives' only a few hours, but they continually renew above the foliage.

Tradescantia (Andersoniana Group) Pink Chablis prefers humus-rich, moist to wet soil and shows its full potential in partly shaded areas that highlight its pastel colours. In full sun, regular and abundant watering is essential. In a cool rockery, at the base of a shaded wall, in woodland areas or even in borders, its flowering brightens up small shady areas. This perennial thrives on stream or pond banks, with Carex, tiarellas, Persicaria, Primula bulleyana or Ophiopogon japonicus. It also grows well in pots, in partial shade, with regular watering.