The spiderwort (Tradescantia) is a wildflower indigenous to North and South America and can readily be seen along roadsides, in woods, and in meadows. They are sometimes cultivated as ornamentals or houseplants, and young stems and leaves are said to be edible, the flowers being used as garnish in salads.

The blooms of these fragile beauties last for one day, opening at sunrise only to expire with the setting sun. Although its flowers are delicate, this herbaceous perennial plant is hardy enough to thrive in almost weed-like proportions on the Great Plains of the Dakotas. It is said that romantic young men of the Dakota Nation sang ballads about this flower as a tribute to the virtues of their beloved. Members of the Lakota tribe were known to decorate their moccasins with blue paint extracted from the petals, and the plant was thought to cure spider bites.

Usually in hues of rich blue or purple, spiderwort has three small, rounded, iris-like petals with pronounced, bright yellow stamen. There are many stories about how the tender spiderwort got its common name. One possibility is that its six hairy stamens look like the hairy legs of spiders. A second possibility is that, when taken from a broken leaf tip or stem, the sap dries quickly in the formation of cobweb-like threads. The thick, gooey sap of this succulent herb has given the plant the alternate name of "cow slobber." The suffix "wort" is taken from the Old English word "wyrt," meaning "plant."

In addition to their transcendental beauty, these prairie plants are being studied for their environmentally sensitive responses to radiation and other pollutants like pesticides. In the presence of radiation, the stamen of certain species of spiderwort are said to turn pink. Additionally, spiderwort has large chromosomes, making them ideal for specific types of genetic research. The spiderwort's botanical name, Tradescantia, is attributed to John Tradescant, who, upon returning from battling pirates on the high seas, became gardener to King Charles I of England.