Care Connet has given permission for her emailed comment to appear here. It is:
Lovely photos and descriptions, especially the magnified images of the purple cells strung like beads. Nice to know they are found in our area. My Spiderworts are more lavender blue.
It does seem like they vary a lot in the blue and purple range. Also sometimes white, as in one of the photos above. The white ones sometimes have pale pink fuzzy stuff, the threads, also known as trichomes.
Upon further thought: Flowers may know something we don't, or we just don't know that we know. Hmmmmm.... The innocence and purity of flowers may teach us a thing er two. Hmmmm...
What wonderful photos, Diane! I can only imagine the patience it takes to wait for those bee visits. Another folk name for this quick-to-fade bloomer: widow's tears.
I think it is an ironic reference to the briefness of some (maybe wealthy) widows' grief. There was a popular comedy, Widow's Tears (George Chapman), playing in London about the time the Tradescants brought that plant from Virginia. I've never been able to confirm the association, but I'm guessing that the name of the plant is connected to the play. I"m sure there's a story there! 😗
Care Connet has given permission for her emailed comment to appear here. It is:
Lovely photos and descriptions, especially the magnified images of the purple cells strung like beads. Nice to know they are found in our area. My Spiderworts are more lavender blue.
It does seem like they vary a lot in the blue and purple range. Also sometimes white, as in one of the photos above. The white ones sometimes have pale pink fuzzy stuff, the threads, also known as trichomes.
I have published your post--thank you!
https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2024/05/22/iowa-wildflower-wednesday-ohio-spiderwort/
Thank you Laura!
Beautiful. I'll be on the lookout for them.
Upon further thought: Flowers may know something we don't, or we just don't know that we know. Hmmmmm.... The innocence and purity of flowers may teach us a thing er two. Hmmmm...
Yep.
"Maybe flowers know something we do not."
;<))
Maybe for sure they know LOTS of things.
Beautiful photos and I now have another plant into my native plant beds!
Lovely. I'm so happy to hear that. This is a really easy plant if you're in its native range.
Will County in Illinois sw of Chicago. It should do well. My wife and I are getting ready to expand our front garden beds so it’ll be a pioneer
What wonderful photos, Diane! I can only imagine the patience it takes to wait for those bee visits. Another folk name for this quick-to-fade bloomer: widow's tears.
How interesting! I have not heard that name before. Equally puzzling as spider wart, I think. Thanks for commenting.
I think it is an ironic reference to the briefness of some (maybe wealthy) widows' grief. There was a popular comedy, Widow's Tears (George Chapman), playing in London about the time the Tradescants brought that plant from Virginia. I've never been able to confirm the association, but I'm guessing that the name of the plant is connected to the play. I"m sure there's a story there! 😗
Now that is funny. Or funny and sad, maybe. I'm not sure, but I'm laughing.
Love this post! And I agree, what a terrible name for a lovely plant. Though not as bad as lousewort...
If you are willing, I would happily republish this at Bleeding Heartland.
Thank you, Laura, and yes, please use this on bleeding heartland