- Description:
Ohio Spiderwort is an upright plant with a bluish, waxy cast. Arched leaves are
often 12 inches long. Flowers have three blue petals that wilt in the heat of the day.
- Comments:
Long, shining strings of juice produced when a stem is broken are reminiscent of a spider
web, giving the spiderwort its name. It is also called “widow’s tears” or
“cow slobbers” because of this clear, stringy sap. Cattle find the plants
palatable and nip them to the ground before they bloom. Heavy grazing eliminates
spiderworts from pastures. Spiderworts are edible either raw in salads or cooked as a pot
herb. The plants can be easily grown from seed. Ohio Spiderwort is found on open prairies
throughout the eastern half of the state.
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