Three blue petals

This is a bloom of a Tradescantia virginiana, also called Spiderwort (in German: Dreimasterblume). Its name derives from John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger who came to Virginia as a settler in 1637. The latter sent this interesting plant with this fascinating bloom to England where it was cultivated. From here it began its distribution to the gardens of the world.

Tradescantia is a genus of about 70 species of perennial plants – native from southern Canada to northern Argentina. They flower in the morning and when the sun shines on the flowers in the afternoon they close, but can remain open on cloudy days until evening – an interesting “behaviour”.
I think the intensive blue blooms of T. Virginiana with their only 3 petals, the blue stamen hairs and the six yellow anthers somehow look fancy.

In complementary picture you can see a closer view.

Two great close-ups Frank. The purple and green make a beautiful combination. The slightly tilted "triangle" works well compositionally too.
We have a tradescantia in a big pot in the garden. Last year we forgot to bring it in for the winter, but there it is again this year, proud and true.
Kath

Hi Frank.
You have to love this camera for allowing you such great macros. Good composition in both cases, great details. It is interesting and beautiful plant with fantastic, quite simple and very nice blue colour. I have tried to photograph it few times and can never get the true colours, there is always something wrong with it. There are few yellow flowers that give me the same problem. They must have some magic unseen to the human eye but fooling camera, wheter digital or film alike. Maybe they display some "information" for the bees alone but absolutely lost on us.
Great not - not that I am surprised.
Greetings from Eau Claire, 5.8 degrees overnight, Celsius.
Chris

Nice shot Frank ! The CI is really a great macro with excellent sharpness. I prefer the CI.
Kind regards

At first I thought the CI was better as it is a tighter shot but the more I look at this one the more I like the lines that move in every direction. The colour is quite stunning of course. TFS. Is this in your own flower garden? I am going to post one from mine.
Phil

Hello Frank,

when looking at the small thumbnail. I thought this is an irish. Beautiful and cheerful colors, full of light and spring feeling. I love how the center of it shoots out like fireworks with the yellow sparks.

Way

Hello Frank,

Congratulations for this wonderful macro shot, what a nice quality, this without tripod.
Nice photo work,

Greetings,
John