Tradescantia gigantea
(Giant Spiderwort)
Tradescantia gigantea, Lake Somerville State Park-Birch Creek Unit, Burleson Co. 9272
Tradescantia gigantea, Lake Somerville State Park-Birch Creek Unit, Burleson Co. 9279
Tradescantia gigantea, Lake Somerville State Park-Birch Creek Unit, Burleson Co. 9274
Tradescantia gigantea, McKinney Falls State Park, Travis Co. 2344
Tradescantia gigantea, McKinney Falls State Park, Travis Co. 2354
Tradescantia gigantea, Lake Somerville State Park-Birch Creek Unit, Burleson Co. 9282
Click Here for purple T. gigantea
| Scientific Name | Tradescantia gigantea | USDA PLANTS Symbol | TRGI |
| Common Name | Giant Spiderwort | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 39162 |
| Family | Commelinaceae (Spiderwort) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Limestone soils in pasturelands, woodland edges, roadsides; endemic to Central Texas. Plant: Erect perennial with straight usually unbranched stems 8 inches to 3 feet tall with 3 to 5 nodes; lower stem mostly smooth, upper densely covered with short hairs. Leaves: Narrow linear-lanceolate, pointed leaves 4 to 14 inches long; upper portions of leaves becoming densely covered with short hairs, lower portions mostly smooth. Inflorescence: A few to many flowers in terminal cymes, blossoms about 1 inch across with three broad, rounded petals, usually lavender-blue to pink, rarely white (shown here); yellow anthers; blossoms subtended by leaf-like bracts up to 4 inches long with a sac-like shape at the base; bracts, sepals and pedicels covered in short, fine hairs. Bloom Period: March to May. References: "Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country" by Marshall Enquist, "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston and Vascular Plants of Williamson County. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native Endemic to Central Texas |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024