‘Concord Grape’ Spiderwort

Tradescantia × andersoniana 'Concord Grape'

This easy-to-grow perennial provides a season-long display of color with unique, three-petaled flowers that pop open for a single day, blooming continuously in succession from late spring into the summer. The flowers feature vibrant purple petals and contrasting yellow stamens, creating a striking visual against the arching, iris-like, bluish-green foliage. It is a highly adaptable plant, thriving in a variety of light and moisture conditions, making it useful for everything from a formal garden border to a naturalized rain garden. Its foliage does an excellent job of filling space and typically remains attractive all season, though a mid-summer trim can rejuvenate the plant and encourage a fresh flush of blooms.

Type

Perennial

Height

12

-20

in

Width

18

-24

in

Origin

Native

Foliage Type

Deciduous

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Full Shade

Water Requirements

Average; best in well-drained, moist, organically rich soil, but adaptable to many soil types and tolerant of boggy conditions

Foliage Color

Smoky bluish-green or frosted blue-green

Flower Color

Bright purple (Concord grape color) with yellow stamens

Resists

Attracts

Bees
Butterflies
Pollinators

Design Use

Special Traits

Notes

Maintenance: Very low maintenance; best cleaned up in early spring before new growth begins.

Pruning: Cut back hard (almost to the ground) after the first major flush of flowering declines in mid-summer to encourage new foliage growth and a second bloom period later in the season.

Habitat: An excellent choice for rain gardens, borders, or naturalized areas where its adaptability shines.

Other: The name “spiderwort” comes from a viscous sap secreted when stems are cut, which becomes thread-like like a spider’s web when it hardens.

Other: Tolerant of urban pollution and highly adaptable to different soil conditions as long as consistent moisture is maintained.