These are growing in a shady area along a tall retaining wall. I planned on cleaning this whole area out but these charming flowers stopped me.
Looks like wandering Jew ! A terribly invasive weed ! Reproduces from the root and you can pull it up but any residual root will regenerate.
Oh. Thank you, Mart. Thankfully, it is in a corner area with the retaining wall and we are planning on digging up the whole area. We should be able to get the roots out without a problem. I read that these also have pretty shallow roots, so it should be pretty easy to get rid of all of this. Thanks again!
Yes they do have shallow roots and are easily pulled up ! It is just a pain to deal with ! I have it here too !
Pity it is so invasive. The flowers are cute. If I had these planted with Lily of the Valley, which would win over the other? They are both so invasive.
It looks like a Commelina to me, a cousin of spiderwort (Tradescantia) but not the same thing. There are several species. Several of the species found in New England are native, but there is also C. communis, which is not. A native can't invade its' own territory, but even native Commelinas are not usually welcome in a cultivated setting because they spread so quickly &/or drop a lot of seeds. Examining an open bloom can usually lead to species ID. Check early to mid-morning to find open blooms, depending on light exposure & temps, if your curiosity goes that far.
If you like, experiment, put some in a hanging pot. If I find any in an area I don't want it I just rip it out. Invasive as it is It takes awhile to re-establish itself. Jerry
What did you end up doing with this? I have these in a pot along with a rubber plant. They both are doing well, I just cut back the stems when they get too wild.
Purpleinopp, I think you are correct. That is exactly what the flower looks like. So far, I haven't had a chance to do anything. I am thinking of leaving it since it is in a safe area. There is also Jumpweed growing in that same area, so I might pull some of the Commelina to save it, pull the Jumpweed to discard and then replant the Commelina. It seems to spread at the same rate as Lily of the Valley. What do you all think? If I grew them together, what do you think would happen?
Absolutely! I've tried a few Commelinas and was disappointed but there are others I would try if I could find them. If you're enjoying, go for it! I didn't mean to discourage, just give a heads-up that nobody might know what happens because you're the first to try.
Commelina communis (Asiatic Dayflower) I have this one in my front garden, don't have any idea where it came from just started showing up in Spring a few years ago. It happened to be in a place where nothing was growing so I have left it alone. Has not spread very far from it's original location, but it's drought tolerant and cute so I see no reason to pull it out.
The flowers are spent, so I cannot get a picture of them in full bloom. Here is a picture I found online that looks like them. http://www.sycamoreisland.org/gallery/gallery5/wildflower22.jpg
