Spotted widow's tears is a mound-forming perennial native to Mexico in the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae). The species epithet honors Cyrus Pringle (1838–1911), Quaker pacifist and prodigious collector of botanical specimens for the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University. Spotted widow's tears 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. 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. 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. Use this plant as a border, as edging for woodland areas and naturalized areas, or in mass planting. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Few problems are reported.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 2 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Purple/Lavender; Variegated
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Broadly lance-shaped leaves are gray-green with irregular purple splotches.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Three petalled lavender-purple flowers at the end of branches