spiderwort

noun

spi·​der·​wort ˈspī-dər-ˌwərt 

-ˌwȯrt

plural spiderworts

: any of a genus (Tradescantia of the family Commelinaceae, the spiderwort family) of American monocotyledonous, usually trailing or creeping plants with narrow leaves and often short-lived white, rose, blue, or violet flowers and that includes some (such as the inch plant) grown as houseplants especially for their ornamental usually striped foliage : tradescantia

Illustration of spiderwort

Examples of spiderwort in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Grown for its striking foliage, purple spiderwort provides a stunning accent to flowering annuals in mixed containers. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026

Summer sees purple spiderwort and orange butterfly milkweed, abuzz with grasshoppers, bees, and butterflies. —Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 20 Apr. 2026

Native Americans used most parts of spiderwort for food and medicine. —Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025

Myu-myu Also known as spiderwort, this perennial has pretty grassy foliage and bright purple flowers. —Terri Robertson, Country Living, 18 Jan. 2023

The plantings include hostas, astilbe, daylilies, roses, lamium, Japanese anemones, spiderwort, coral-bells, zinnia, clematis, dianthus and different kinds of sedum. —Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2021

This is hairy flower spiderwort – Tradescantia hirsutiflora. —Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, 18 Apr. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above