Description

Key Information:

Soil: Mesic (Medium)
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 6-18 inches
Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Season: May – July

More Information:

Suggested Uses: Bracted Spiderwort is native to upland prairies and grows well in sandy soils. Its showy purple flowers open in the morning and close around midday. The individual flowers last only one day but the plant produces flowers for several weeks.

Native Range: Native to the Great Plains. Native throughout southern and western Minnesota.

Pollinators: Honeybees and bumblebees.

Flowers: The 1″-2″ flowers have 3 petals, 3 sepals, 6 yellow stamens.

Leaves: The leaves are about 15″ long, linear and folded lengthwise.

Lakota: Čhaŋȟlóǧaŋ pȟáŋpȟaŋla is used as a blue dye or paint. Read more from Linda Black Elk here and Maštíŋčala Sáŋ here.

Food Uses: The young leaves and stems can be eaten in salad or cooked. The flowers can be eaten like candy. Carefully wet and dry the flowers, brush with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sugar, and let dry.

Other Uses: Stamen hairs turn from purple to pink if exposed to low-level radiation.

Scientific Name: Named for John Tradescant – Royal gardener for King Charles I.

Other Names: Longbract Spiderwort

More information: USDA plant profile