Ohio spiderwort flower preparing to open.

Spiderwort is a common wildflower in many prairies.  The species goes by many names – often related to its stringy gooey sap.  Snotweed is one of my favorites, but my 4th grade son’s favorite is “cow slobber” (although he likes “snotweed” too, of course).

The species shown here is Ohio Spiderwort (aka “bluejacket”), which can be found throughout most of eastern North America.  I find spiderworts to be particularly photogenic flowers, and consequently have a lot more photos of them than I probably need.  However, this shot is a little different from the rest because the flower is just starting to open, and it shows the underside of the petals as they’re unfolding from the bud.