My Favorite Weed

Every spring, grass-like clumps of growth start showing up in my back yard.  My wife is carefully instructed not to mow these down as they will eventually lead to these cute little blue flowers that look so cottagey and nice.  These clumps are the wildflower tradescantia that is native to my area.  It is also known as spiderwort.

I have never planted them and do not give them any care beyond not mowing them until they cease blooming and start to yellow.  They thrive in the back yard and add cheer to my daily walks.  They will eventually form a clump about 2' x 2' in size.  There is no fragrance to speak of.  Towards the end of spring, we mow them down and they disappear until the following spring.  Their bloom time lasts for about a month in my yard and is usually around the same time as the irises and azaleas.  The blooms on mine are medium blue and they close up when the sun gets hot around mid-day.  They will do best in part shade with moist soil.  They might be a good plant for a cottage style garden.  As it is, I will just let mine keep growing where they please in my back yard.