Uses for Spiderwort in Florida

Identification

• Common spiderwort is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. It typically begins blooming in May and continues flowering into July. At its tallest, it is usually about 3 feet, with its flowers sitting atop its tall, green stalks surrounded by long, grasslike, lanceolate leaves. Each of the flowers has three bright-blue petals and vibrant-yellow stamens in the middle. In the wild, common spiderwort grows in prairies, in open woods and across savannas in the eastern one-half of the United States. It requires a site with full-sun exposure to partial shade.

Wetland Garden

• Equally likely to grow in Florida's wetlands and non-wetland areas, common spiderwort works well in a boggy or marshy back yard. Although it can tolerate drought, it also can take swampy conditions where many other plants cannot grow. It performs best in rich soil and often appears in already disturbed and improved areas of gardens, roadsides and fields as well as in fertile sites such as compost piles. Especially in a wet or swampy garden, the plant's bright-blue flowers draw the eye.

Wildflower Garden

• Common spiderwort makes an effective loose, breezy-looking ground-cover and self-seeds easily. An option is to use common spiderwort exclusively to make a small meadow in a corner of your garden or yard. It also can be planted in a mixed wildflower garden with other brightly colored wildflowers, such as the red-flowered bee balm (Monarda didyma), which also is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9.

Edible Garden

• All parts of common spiderwort are edible and considered tasty, and so the plant can be grown in an edible garden. Its flowers are especially prized for salads, but its pealike pods, which form after the blooms fade, also are favored. The stems, when steamed, are likened to asparagus. When harvesting common spiderwort, target the youngest stems and leaves because they have the best flavor.