A Three-Petalled blue flower? - Plants

Raven48

16/08/2012 at 21:40

I've found an odd plant growing on my allotment, no idea what it is or where it came from, but it's definitely not a vegetable

It's about 6" tall with strappy sort of leaves, not very bushy, and a lovely bright royal blue flower with three petals, about an inch across. Any ideas?

sotongeoff

16/08/2012 at 21:42

Can you post a picture?

Dovefromabove

16/08/2012 at 21:57

tradescantia?

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1942

One of my favourites

Raven48

16/08/2012 at 22:24

Hi,
Thanks for answering, it does look a bit like the tradescantia on the link, but only broadly. The three petals on mine are seperate, not joined and the leaves are more like a houseplant-type tradescantia than long iris-type leaves. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow!

Dovefromabove

17/08/2012 at 07:14

Could it be a houseplant that someone's chucked out? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradescantia_zebrina

or a trillium? I don't know of any blue trilliums, but I found this

http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/phenology/2008/trigra_flower04gf400.jpg

Raven48

18/08/2012 at 17:05

That looks more like it on the foliage, but the flowers are different. I was going to take a photo of it, but the one open flower has gone so I'll wait till the others open. They sit in a strange sort of case, the flowers, before they open, which is hard to describe but a sort of tear-drop shape with reddish brown streaks, and the flowers are held in a spray type arrangement as far as I can tell, though it looks like only one opens at a time. The flower colour is a really clear royal blue, the same shade as something like lithodora 'Heavenly Blue'. I'm vexed that I can't find out what it is!

Vivi

18/08/2012 at 20:03

Commelina??

Dovefromabove

19/08/2012 at 08:56

Commelina is a new plant to me - looks gorgeous! If that's what it is it looks as if Raven is a very lucky gardener

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/perennial-and-biennial-seeds/commelina-dianthifolia/1421TM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commelina

Raven48

25/08/2012 at 16:27

Thanks, Dove, that certainly looks like it

I dug one up, expecting it to be a bulb but it has thick fleshy roots, so I just replanted it. I seem to have five of them, though where on earth they've come from has me completely stumped! We've had the plot four years now, and though I have scattered some wildflower/kids annual mixes on two beds to attract pollinators I don't remember anything like this. The flowers don't last very long, but are the most stunning bright blue. I shall do my best to nurture it now I know what it is, but given that its growing almost completely shaded out by three 3m-plus sunflowers it seems easily pleased!

Berghill

25/08/2012 at 17:51

http://s4.gardenersworld.com/uploads/images/original/11198.jpg?width=338&height=350&mode=max

Save seed, it does not always survive Winter.

Berghill

25/08/2012 at 17:55

Also comes in white.

http://s4.gardenersworld.com/uploads/images/original/11199.jpg?width=364&height=350&mode=max

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