
Flower profile
Asiatic dayflower
Commelina communis
Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) is a flowering plant in the Commelinaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.
Asiatic dayflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 19 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia
Quick look
Commelina communis the Asiatic dayflower, is an herbaceous annual plant in the dayflower family. It gets its name because the blooms last for only one day. It is native throughout much of East Asia and northern parts of Southeast Asia. In China, the plant is known as yazhicao, roughly translating to "duckfoot herb", while in Japan it is known as tsuyukusa , meaning "dew herb".
- It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 39 states. USDA PLANTS
- In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,699 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #61 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,059 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #54 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,814 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #71 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 19 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Introduced | June–September | 3,699 |
| Virginia | Introduced | June–September | 3,059 |
| Pennsylvania | Introduced | June–September | 2,814 |
| North Carolina | Introduced | June–September | 2,560 |
| Massachusetts | Introduced | June–September | 2,387 |
| Maryland | Introduced | June–September | 2,379 |
| Georgia | Introduced | June–September | 1,372 |
| New Jersey | Introduced | June–September | 1,369 |
| Indiana | Introduced | June–September | 1,091 |
| Connecticut | Introduced | June–September | 949 |
| Arkansas | Introduced | June–October | 780 |
| Missouri | Introduced | June–September | 717 |
| Kentucky | Introduced | June–September | 682 |
| Oklahoma | Introduced | May–October | 452 |
| South Carolina | Introduced | June–October | 426 |
| Iowa | Introduced | June–September | 354 |
| Nebraska | Introduced | June–October | 294 |
| Rhode Island | Introduced | few records (32) | 284 |
| Delaware | Introduced | July–September | 208 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- State rare plant lists
- Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 15 of our 19 states.
See each state
- New York
- Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. 6 NYCRR § 193.3
- Virginia
- Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
- Pennsylvania
- Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- Massachusetts
- Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Massachusetts. MESA list
- Maryland
- Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
- Georgia
- Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
- New Jersey
- Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
- Connecticut
- Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Connecticut. CT E/T/SC list
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- Kentucky
- Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
- Iowa
- Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- Rhode Island
- Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
- Delaware
- Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
- Indiana
- No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Indiana.
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arkansas.
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Oklahoma.
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records asiatic dayflower in 39 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Bronx, Chemung, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Franklin, Greene, Kings, Livingston, Madison, Nassau, New York, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Steuben, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, Westchester.
Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Scott, Shenandoah, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.
Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Venango, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Commelina debilis, Commelina willdenowii.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 873 counties across 37 states; the most are in Virginia (94), North Carolina (82), Illinois (78).
Other Commelina on Bloomipedia (3): Whitemouth dayflower, Scrambling dayflower, Virginia dayflower.
More from the Commelinaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ohio spiderwort, Western spiderwort.
More New York flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COCO3.
- iNaturalist, Commelina communis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Commelina communis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- State rare and invasive plant lists (32):
Show all 32 state lists
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
- Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
- Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Commelina communis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Jack Forrester via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.


