Spiderworts

Spiderworts symbolize immortality, optimism, and moral authority. Although its most common color is blue to purple, there are also pink, red, or white varieties. This post shows two types of Spiderworts: Ohio Spiderwort and False Dayflower (also known as Widow’s Tears).

False Dayflowers (Tinantia anomala) are native to Central Texas and Durango, Mexico. As you can see in these photos, False Dayflowers have purple flowers and grass-like leaves. Those green leaves appear in the fall and remain green through winter. It is a beautiful winter ground cover.

I photographed these at Austin‘s Zilker Botanical Gardens. I had to get down and point the camera up to get that perspective in the first photo. That is why you see the blue background (the sky). Don’t these flowers look like a human inquisitive face to you?

I captured these False Dayflowers’ images in early March 2021. We had had a strong winter storm in Austin, and I did not think I’d find any wildflowers growing. I was surprised to find the harsh effects of the snowstorm in February had not affected these flowers. Not many things were blooming, and even the prehistoric garden looked like a war zone. Since it had a lot of tropical plants, they all appeared dead. Other sections of the gardens were beginning to show signs of life.

The second type of spiderwort I feature is the Ohio Spiderwort. It is a Texas native perennial plant that only blooms for a day. The flowers bloom in late spring and early summer for about six weeks, typically opening in the morning and closing by mid-day. It can also be found in other parts of eastern and central North America. The flower name has a variety of possible explanations. Some believe the name comes from its medicinal use when spiderworts were used to treat spider bites. Others think its leaves resemble a squatting spider. There is also another explanation for the flower name. It is believed that its hairy center can resemble a spider web. You can see that in the photo above.

I photographed these Ohio Spiderworts at the Copperfield Nature Trail. Sometimes, people may not see these flowers very easily. Considering that these herbaceous perennials only grow to about 6 in.–2 ft. (15-61 cm) tall and 1–1.5 ft. (30-45 cm) wide, it is easy to miss them if you are not looking down.