DAY FLOWER & WIDOW'S TEARS
Commelina elegans Day Flower,
Commelina erecta Widow's Tears - Commelinaceae,
Spiderwort Family
DESCRIPTION: Upright, spreading, annual or perennial flowering plant growing in moist or seasonally flooded areas
Height: From 8 inches (C. elegans) to 18 inches (C. erecta)
Flowers: Three petaled, two lavender (C. elegans) or two deep blue (C. erecta) 1/2 to 1 inch broad, and one white much smaller, all year long
Fruit: Small, inconspicuous
Foliage: Leaves oval to oblong to 4 inches long with reddish stems (C.
elegans). Narrow and long to 7 inches with green stems (C. erecta)
Growth rate: Moderate to very fast
REQUIREMENTS:
Sun: Full shade to partial sun
Soil: Sandy or clay soils
Drainage: Poor
Water: Moist
Maintenance: Little needed
Propagation: Seeds and rooted stems
NATIVE HABITAT: Moist, wooded areas
WILDLIFE USE: Browse for deer; doves and quail eat seeds.
COMMENTS: Very showy flowers open early in the morning and fade by noon. This is a robust growing plant that can easily overtake a small garden; best planted in a container or spacious woodland, pond or resaca bank |
Day Flower
Widows Tears
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