Spiderwort, likely Tradescantia ohiensis given the apparent lack of hairs. If so, can be aggressive in a garden, but in a drier area perhaps not as much as in "good garden soil".

Here is a link that might be useful: Yes, it is native

Thanks esh :) Do they have a long flowering season? I am seeing flowering spring through summer online.

I have been putting off mowing to enjoy all the native flowers this spring. I will have to mow this week and so will lose a lot of stuff growing in the yard. Lots of this spiderwort at the woodland edge but also some here and there in the yard.

I will have one more shrubby plant ID to post soon then I am ready to go!

John

I am only recently growing them myself. I think that perhaps they have one big flush and then sporadic blooms here and there. It is easily transplanted - not finicky at all.

There are numerous Tradescantias that look almost the same. The ones in my yard are about the same color as yours. I mow around the biggest clumps until they look really ratty. I think the bloom period depends a lot on rainfall, although even when it's too dry they seem to bloom longer than a lot of other perennials, about 2 months.

Good garden plant if you don't mind them being rather invasive. Kind of a garden thug. Reseeds everywhere, bloomos in the morning and is closed by 11 am on hot days. They last a long time in the spring/early summer before they begin to get ratty and die down, at which time I usually cut them off (hopefully I can get them before they go to seed!) They suceed very well in good garden soil and can make clumps a couple feet across.

They come in a range of colors from white to pink, purple, bue. sometimes double, sizes from short to tall, and there is one with lime green leaves, called, appropriately, "Limelight". It has deep blue flowers. You can usually get various cultivars at garden centers and nurseries.

I love them for the blue in the morning.

Sandy

Hey Sandy, I actually found a purple flowered one at Lowes right after your last post :) Can't recall the name though...

This is spiderwort, tradescantia. plantbug