Flower profile

Scrambling dayflower

Commelina diffusa

Scrambling dayflower (Commelina diffusa) is a flowering plant in the Commelinaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–December across the U.S.

Not native to Hawaii

Scrambling dayflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

26states where USDA records it

666HI sightings*

4,511U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Commelina diffusa, sometimes known as the climbing dayflower or spreading dayflower, is an herbaceous plant in the dayflower family. Its native distribution is Paleotropical, including tropical and southern Africa, Yemen, the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, southern China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands.
From Wikipedia's article Commelina diffusa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 26 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 666 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #75 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (26 records)

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
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. ^{HAR 13-107}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 scrambling dayflower in 26 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Scrambling dayflower a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.2 to 7.2 and winter lows down to 47 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.2 to 7.2
Minimum temperature tolerated: 47 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 32 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 4 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: container, cuttings, seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CODI5. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 426 counties across 25 states; the most are in Louisiana (54), Missouri (44), Florida (43).

Other Commelina on Bloomipedia (3): Asiatic dayflower, Whitemouth dayflower, Virginia dayflower.

More from the Commelinaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ohio spiderwort, Western spiderwort.

More Hawaii flowers

ʻōhiʻa lehua

Metrosideros polymorpha

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: May–June

Beach naupaka

Scaevola taccada

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: May–December

Pūkiawe

Leptecophylla tameiameiae

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CODI5.
iNaturalist, Commelina diffusa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Commelina diffusa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Commelina diffusa (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Ken Clark via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.