Bloomipedia
Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Photo: Alex Abair via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Ohio spiderwort

Tradescantia ohiensis

Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) is a flowering plant in the Commelinaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Ohio spiderwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

34states where USDA records it
6Bloomipedia state lists include it
14,730U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin

Quick look

Tradescantia ohiensis, commonly known as bluejacket or Ohio spiderwort, is an herbaceous plant species in the genus Tradescantia native to eastern and central North America. It is the most common and widely distributed species of Tradescantia in the United States, where it can be found from Maine in the northeast, west to Minnesota, and south to Texas and Florida.

  • It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Kansas and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,217 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #94 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,043 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #46 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,952 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #76 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,848 records)
Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaNativeMarch–April3,217
IllinoisNativeMay–June3,043
WisconsinNativeJune–July1,952
ArkansasNativeApril–June864
KansasNativefew records (10)285
IowaNativefew records (30)267

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 6 states.
See each state
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: S5, secure in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NJ (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The leaves and stems are edible, fresh or cooked.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Tradescantia flumeninsis (“Inch Plant”), as toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records ohio spiderwort in 34 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Citrus, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Leon, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Volusia, Wakulla.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Waukesha, Waushara, Wood.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Tradescantia canaliculata, Tradescantia foliosa, Tradescantia incarnata, Tradescantia reflexa.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 823 counties across 31 states; the most are in Illinois (94), Texas (64), Missouri (63).

Other Tradescantia on Bloomipedia (1): Western spiderwort.

More from the Commelinaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Asiatic dayflower, Whitemouth dayflower, Scrambling dayflower, Virginia dayflower.

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Sources