Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Commelinaceae or Dayflower Family
 

Erect plant with long, narrow leaves.  Flowers, which have three blue or purple petals, are in a cluster with two long green, leaf -like bracts just below the cluster.  Flowerstalks and sepals are mostly smooth and not hairy. Normally only one flower is open at a time.  Blooms in early summer, and again in early fall, after taking the hottest part of the summer off.

Attractive native of open meadows and wood edges.  Occasional in sunny areas of the park.  Spiderworts cultivated in flower gardens are usually hybrids.

Virginia spiderwort is very similar, but has very hairy sepals and flowerstalks. It would not be unexpected in the Park, although it has not been reported. Spiderwors are hard to tell apart and hybridize freely, so it would not be surprising if many or all of the Park's spiderworts are actually natural hybrids, or escaped cultivars.