Growing Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

Pronunciation: tra-des-cant'ee-a 

Vigorous and all but carefree in full sun or partial shade (partial shade is a requirement in the West). Tradescantia grows in almost any kind of soil, from damp to dry, but evenly moist soil is required in the dry areas of the South and West.

Plants may look tired by midsummer. If cut back almost to the ground, they will soon produce a fresh crop of foliage and may bloom again in the fall. In the Deep South, plants may go dormant in summer, resuming growth in winter.