Commelina diffusa aka Climbing Dayflower

Commelina diffusa is a leafy herb. It belongs to the Commelinaceae family. It grows across much of the tropics and subtropics. Its range spans Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. Useful Tropical Plants says it does not grow in Australia. The RHS lists it as non-native to Britain and Ireland. These sources show its broad range. They do not give the exact bounds of its native range.

The plant most often lives for years as a perennial. It can also live for one year as an annual. Its many branches spread along the ground or grow upward. The stems and leaves can form a carpet. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of about 2.6 feet [0.8 metres]. Its full account says plants can reach 3.3 feet [1 metre] or more. The sources give no width for a full-grown plant. They give no size range for plants grown in gardens. They lack facts on this species' leaf shape and fruit.

This herb grows in damp fields and beside ditches. It also grows in lawns, waste ground, and farmed land. Some plants grow under bamboo. The soils where it grows have much clay or humus. It grows from sea level to about 6,560 feet [2,000 metres]. These records link the plant with moist ground. They do not show how often to water garden plants. Nor do they show how much light plants need. Useful Tropical Plants gives no guide to growing it. Neither source rates its hardiness or says when it blooms. Insects pollinate its flowers. The plant grows from seed.

People gather wild plants for food, medicine, and dye. They cook and eat the leaves as greens. They use juice from the petals to make paint dye. Records note leaf use to boost urine flow and lower fever. People also place leaf poultices on sores. They use the thick fluid from stems on wounds. Some folk remedies use crushed stems and leaves for menstrual problems. Others use the whole plant for warts, hair loss, and kidney complaints. These records of past use do not prove any benefit.

Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards for this species. This does not mean it is safe for people or pets. The same source calls it a weed in several habitats. Its spread thus matters in places with little space. The evidence names no pests or diseases. It gives no tested landscape uses. Nor does it give data on how it grows in gardens.