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Spotted Widow's Tears Tinantia pringlei

Other Common Name(s):

Description

Spotted Widow's Tears is a mound-forming perennial native to Mexico in the spiderwort family. The attractive gray-green leaves are broadly lance-shaped and purple-spotted with wiry, purple stems bearing mauve to lavender three-petaled flowers from summer into autumn. It does best in part shade to part sun but tolerates full sun to full shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It tolerates coastal conditions, various soil and pH types and deer generally will leave it alone. 

Use this plant as a border, edging for woodland areas, naturalized areas or mass planted. The flowers are self-fertile and they will self-seed in the garden. Propagation can also be done by stem cuttings and division. In warm winter areas, it may be semi-evergreen to evergreen.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Panther"
'Panther"
Tags:
#showy flowers#shade garden#showy leaves#mounding#herbaceous perennial#long bloom time#border planting#naturalized area#partial shade tolerant#spotted leaves#woodland
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Panther"
'Panther"
Tags:
#showy flowers#shade garden#showy leaves#mounding#herbaceous perennial#long bloom time#border planting#naturalized area#partial shade tolerant#spotted leaves#woodland
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Tinantia
    Species:
    pringlei
    Family:
    Commelinaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Stem Cutting
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    NE. Mexico
    Dimensions:
    Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 2 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Mounding
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Solitary
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Long Bloom Season
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Cup
    Flower Petals:
    2-3 rays/petals
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Three petalled lavender-purple flowers at the end of branches
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Variegated
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Broadly lance-shaped leaves are gray-green with irregular purple splotches.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Wiry purple stems
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Naturalized Area
    Patio
    Walkways
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Cottage Garden
    English Garden
    Shade Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Diseases