Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) may turn out to be another good perennial vegetable. In April the young shoots and leaves can be eaten raw or in soups and in May, when many perennial vegetables grow out of their tender state and turn fibrous and bitter, spiderwort stalks still remain quite tender and sweet... and mucilagenous.

Spiderwort can grow in sun or in shade and i found many scattered around here, as they are good in self-sowing. I have also found some growing out of rock walls, so they seem to be quite undemanding about their growing location. They also have a wide range considering temperature, withstanding the summer heats of Florida and the winter colds of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.

I peeled the stalks as the thin outer skin was a bit fibrous already, but as they broke of easily from the plant i might actually try to braise the stalks without peeling the next time. Peeling also does take quite a while.

The stalks do not really bring a lot of taste but that can also be considered something positive as they can make a good adding to stir fries, soups and salads without bringing a strong taste.