Western Spiderwort
Tradescantia occidentalis
The petals are so delicate that they liquefy into a sticky, jelly-like substance when they wilt, giving them the nickname 'Widow's Tears'.
- Scientific name
- Tradescantia occidentalis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Commelinales › Commelinaceae › Tradescantia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies, rocky outcrops, and sandy slopes.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (Sunlight, Water, Carbon Dioxide)
- Range
- Central United States, Southern Canada, Northern Mexico
- Size
- 30 to 60 cm in height
- Lifespan
- Perennial (5-10+ years via rhizomes)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Agricultural expansion, herbicide drift, and competition from invasive cool-season grasses.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach. These flowers are delicate; observe without picking to allow pollinators access. No known toxins for humans, but avoid ingestion as a general safety rule.
Tradescantia occidentalis , the prairie spiderwort or western spiderwort , is a plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is common and widespread across the western Great Plains of the United States, as well as in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, and Sonora, but is listed as a threatened species in Canada.
Photo: Sam Kieschnick, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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