Tradescantia ohiensis

Raf.

Spiderwort

Commelinaceae Edible: Leaves, Flowers 25,140 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa

Summary

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 also has a very small distribution in Canada in extreme southern Ontario near Windsor.

Description

A creeping herb.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

Ohio spiderwort has edible flowers and shoots. Flowers and stems can be eaten raw, while the leaves can be cooked. Leaves of the plant are mucilaginous and can be used to soothe insect bites in a similar way to aloe vera.

Traditional Uses

The leaves and stems are eaten raw in salads or cooked as a potherb. The flowers have been eaten candied.

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Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

References (1)

Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 871