Cobweb Spiderwort

Cobweb Spiderwort Overview

Tradescantia sillamontana is an attractive evergreen perennial in the spiderwort family, Commelinaceae. It's commonly known by the names Cobweb Spiderwort and White Velvet. A characterful little plant, it likes a position of full sun for optimal growth. Care should be taken with exposure to full sunlight as the leaves can burn. It's recommended to acclimatise plants gently to increasing light levels. Water sparingly and allow to dry out a little between waterings, but don't leave them bone dry for any length of time. It grows best in sandy, gritty, well-draining soil. Tradescantia sillamontana has an upright habit and produces oval-shaped, grey-green, succulent leaves which are covered densely in soft, white, cobwebby and woolly hairs. The leaves measure up to 5cm long and are arranged in two opposite ranks. Pretty little 3-petalled pink-purple flowers appear in the summer at the tips of stems, between the leaves. This species has earnt a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. Plants in the genus Tradescantia have until recently been commonly known as ‘Wandering Jew’. This name is no longer used by the horticultural world due to its historical use in supporting antisemitic stereotypes.