Spiderwort (\(Tradescantia\) species) is a resilient perennial recognized by its three-petaled flowers and arching, grass-like foliage. While generally low-maintenance, this plant tends to become excessively tall and floppy, a condition often called “legginess,” as the season progresses. Pruning is necessary to manage this sprawling habit and prevent the foliage from turning brown and unsightly following the initial spring bloom cycle. Timely cutting back ensures a denser, more attractive mounding habit and prepares the plant for subsequent flowering.
Essential Tools and Timing
Successful pruning begins with preparation and scheduling. For individual stems and general tidiness, sharp bypass hand pruners are the appropriate tool, ensuring a clean cut that minimizes stress on the plant tissue. For large, established clumps requiring significant mass reduction, sterilized hedge shears offer more efficiency and speed.
Always sanitize cutting tools with a solution of rubbing alcohol or a weak bleach mixture before and after use to prevent the transmission of plant diseases. The pruning schedule involves three main phases: an initial cleanup of dead material in early spring, continuous maintenance throughout the summer, and a major cutback scheduled around late June or early July. This multi-stage approach ensures the plant maintains vigor throughout the entire growing season.
Routine Care: Deadheading and Shaping
Routine summer maintenance focuses on deadheading, the removal of spent flowers, which is the lightest form of pruning. Spiderwort flowers typically last only a single day, but the stalks continue producing new buds over several weeks. To encourage the plant to invest energy into new floral production rather than seed development, remove the entire spent flower stalk down to the nearest healthy leaf set or branching point.
This simple action promotes continuous flowering and helps control the plant’s aggressive tendency to self-seed, which can lead to unwanted spread in garden beds. Throughout the growing season, gardeners can also lightly shape the plant by selectively trimming back any individual stems that appear overly long or are leaning excessively. This light shaping maintains a neater, more compact appearance without drastically altering the overall size of the foliage mound.
The Mid-Season Rejuvenation Cutback
The mid-season cutback is a necessary, aggressive pruning technique performed after the first major flush of flowers fades. This decline is often marked by the lower foliage turning yellow or brown, and the stems becoming noticeably leggy and sprawling, an effect known as “summer slump.” This signals that a significant reduction is needed to revitalize the plant.
This rejuvenation pruning is scheduled when the heat of summer arrives, usually between late June and early July, before the plant has fully set seed. The goal is to stimulate a completely new cycle of growth. The entire plant mass should be cut back severely, reducing the height by approximately one-half to two-thirds. The cut should be made just above a healthy node or a low set of leaves near the base of the plant.
Immediately following this drastic reduction in foliage, the plant will appear bare, but this shock quickly triggers the formation of new, fresh shoots. The plant redirects its energy reserves from maintaining old, damaged tissue into producing vigorous new growth. The resulting new growth will be significantly more compact, denser, and healthier. This flush of foliage often culminates in a second, though usually less prolific, round of blooming that lasts until the first hard frost.
Post-Pruning Care and Growth Management
Immediately following the aggressive rejuvenation cutback, the plant requires specific care to support its recovery and new growth. A thorough watering is necessary to reduce shock and ensure the roots have enough moisture to fuel the rapid re-sprouting process. Adequate hydration is paramount during the recovery phase, especially during periods of high summer heat.
Applying a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or a light liquid feed supports the immediate burst of new energy needed to produce fresh stems and leaves. However, heavy nitrogen applications should be avoided, as this can encourage soft, weak growth that is susceptible to pests and disease. A balanced approach supports robust stem and leaf development.
For long-term management of its spreading nature, established spiderwort clumps should be divided every three to five years, ideally in early spring or fall. Once the foliage has completely died back after the first hard frost, the remaining dead stems can be cut down to the ground. This winter cleanup provides a tidy appearance and helps prevent any overwintering pests or diseases.