 |
When I was a student a curious Tradescantia started to circulate under the name 'White Velvet'
and for a number of years I grew it on a windowsill in the sun. Short stems covered in long white hairs
that spring from a compact basal plate that is almost a rhizome. I had it for several years, and eventually
discovered that it was Tradescantia sillamontana and was left with a general affection for it
that saw me buy another this spring and plant it in the Agave house. It comes from the drier states of northern Mexico, so it is well suited to the company of Agave and I am hoping it will be moderately hardy. The North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox says: "Cobweb spiderwort is a low-growing, perennial groundcover plant that is native to dry regions in northeastern Mexico and is a member of the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae). It is densely branched, has prostrate and ascending stems, and grows 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. The specific epithet, sillamontana, is a Latinization of "Cerro de la Silla." This references the hill or mount near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, where this plant is native." |
|
| 11th July 2014 | ||
