Family: Commelinaceae

Origin: The three most kown are from Mexico

Flower color: Most blue, sometimes yellow and rarely white.

Flowering period: Flowers only flower for a few days, but has massive numbers of flowers that do not flower simultaneously. Produces flowers consistently for at least a couple of weeks.

Average plant height: 50 cm.

Planting depth to base of bulbs: 5 – 8 cm.

Spacing between bulbs: 15 – 25 cm.

Type of bulb: corm

Light requirements: The plants appreciate full sun, but in hot climates shaded spots are preferred during the hottest times of the day.

Application: In warm borders and in rock gardens, planters and pots.

History

Named after two Dutch botanists, Johann and Kaspar Commelin, who lived around 1700. Some 100 cultivars are known, spread around the globe. Not all of these are bulbous. Some 3, 4 cultivars are root stocks

Principal varieties

• Commelina coelestis (Blue Spiderwort): Originally from Mexico and introduced around 1700. The plant grows to a height of 50 centimeters, the leafs are long and lancet shaped, with a width of about 5 
  centimeters and length of 15 to 20 centimeters. The flowers are blue and are early flowering in summer.
• Commelina dianthifolia: Flowers later than Commelina coelestis, but still in summer, from July to August. Although the blue flowers only flower for a few days, it has massive numbers of flowers that do not flower simultaneously. The total plant therefore flowers consistently for at least a couple of weeks.
• Commelina tuberosa: Introduced in 1732. Flowers in June, July with flowers blue like the sky. Reaches a height between 38 tot 45 centimeters.