Ohio Spiderwort are common wildflowers spotted across Houston. Most of these flowers boast a beautiful blue-violet color, giving them the nickname “Bluejackets.” However, some “Pinkjackets” burst forth with bright pink petals. Their color differences stem from a spontaneous gene mutations that determine the flower’s paint color or the amount of pigment produced in each flower, according to Kelsey Low, Adult Programs Manager at Houston Arboretum
“Whatever the cause, the bees don’t seem to care, and we can all just enjoy a little more variety in the spring landscape,” writes Low.
These flowers usually bloom in late spring and into summer. Their colorful petals open in the early morning and then close up as the day gets warmer, but they’ve already been spotted at the Houston Arboretum. When they’re touched in the hottest part of the day, they can shrivel up like jelly. Bluejackets and Pinkjackets can sprout up to two to four feet. The flowers grow best in moist soil conditions and lightly shaded meadows and flower beds. Bumblebees are their main pollinators but deer, rabbit, box turtles, and livestock also love to chomp on them.
