All plants /Ground /Spiderwort
Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis, spiderwort family. Common in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Leaves, stems, and flowers
- How
- Leaves and stems raw or cooked; flowers as garnish
- When
- Spring
- Where
- Prairies, roadsides, woodland edges
- Value
- A mild mucilaginous green
Caution: A safe, well-known edible; the blue flowers and grass-like leaves are distinctive. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Grassy arching leaves and three-petaled blue-violet flowers that each last a single morning. Break a leaf and it draws a fine mucilage thread.
In the kitchen
Young leaves and stems eat like a slightly slick green vegetable, raw or cooked; the flowers pretty up a plate.
Photo: “Jon Zander (Digon3)", CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.