Bloomipedia
Virginia dayflower (Commelina virginica)
Photo: ncb1221 via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Virginia dayflower

Commelina virginica

Native to Louisiana

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

24states
373LA sightings*
4,411U.S. sightings*

*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 #101 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist

Virginia dayflower gift ideas

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (296 records)

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?

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 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.

More Louisiana flowers

White clover (Trifolium repens)

White clover

Trifolium repens

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in LA: January–October
American black elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

American black elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: April–August
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: May–July

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.