Dayflower

Commelina erecta

Commelinaceae (Spiderwort Family)

Widow's Tears, Dayflower, White-mouth Dayflower, Whitemouth Dayflower

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Native Habitat: Grassland, Woodland

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain

Maintenance

Prune back dead foliage

Comments

Highly variable species. Stems grow upright only if supported by other plants. Usually stems lie on the ground. Ephemeral flowers, about 1″ across, have two larger, blue petals and one much smaller white petal. Flowers with 2 large, bloom in small clusters, in a bract, at the top of several erect branches. They only bloom for a day, but there are several buds on a plant that open 3-4 days apart. Principal leaves are linear to somewhat lance-shaped. Attracts birds.

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

0.5 to

1 ft

Spread

2 to

3 ft

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Rocky, Limestone

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

Blue

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Birds

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References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COER. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Commelina+erecta&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=7710&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt.

Native Plant Society of Texas