Flower profile
Virginia dayflower
Commelina virginica
Virginia dayflower (Commelina virginica) is a flowering plant in the Commelinaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.
Virginia dayflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Commelina virginica, commonly known as the Virginia dayflower, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the dayflower family. It is native to the mideastern and southeastern United States, where it is typical of wet soils. While most members of the genus have thin, fibrous roots, the Virginia dayflower is unusual for its genus in having a perennial rhizome.
- It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 373 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #105 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of Louisiana flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.
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
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DC (S1), DE (S1), KS (S2), PA (SX). (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?
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.
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 Virginia dayflower in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Growing conditions
USDA PLANTS gives Virginia dayflower a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.7 to 6.7 and winter lows down to -18 °F.
- Shade tolerance
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Moisture use
- Medium
- Soil textures it is adapted to
- medium, fine
- Soil pH range
- 4.7 to 6.7
- Minimum temperature tolerated
- -18 °F
- Frost-free days needed (minimum)
- 165
- Annual precipitation range
- 36 to 55 inches
- Minimum root depth
- 10 inches
- Salinity tolerance
- None
- Fertility requirement
- High
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Lifespan
- Long
- Active growth period
- Summer and Fall
- Fruit or seed
- Red · Summer to Fall
- Can be propagated by
- container, seed
- Commercial availability
- No Known Source
From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for COVI3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Native.
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Commelina deficiens, Commelina longifolia.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 565 counties across 23 states; the most are in Louisiana (53), Virginia (52), Arkansas (50).
Other Commelina on Bloomipedia (3): Asiatic dayflower, Whitemouth dayflower, Scrambling dayflower.
More from the Commelinaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ohio spiderwort, Western spiderwort.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COVI3.
- iNaturalist, Commelina virginica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Commelina virginica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Commelina virginica (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: ncb1221 via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.