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Commelina coelestis - Willd.

Blue Spider Wort

Author	Willd.	Botanical references	200
Family	Commelinaceae	Genus	Commelina
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Southern N. America - Mexico.
Habitat	Not known
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.45m by 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds; South Wall By; West Wall By;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root.

Tubers - cooked[2]. Starchy[105]. The plant forms a clump of thin finger-shaped roots about 7 - 10cm long. These are easily harvested, though overall yields are low. The roots have a fairly bland flavour and an acceptable texture[K]. By no means a favourite root crop, but acceptable in small quantities[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a light well-drained loam with added leafmold and a warm sunny position[42, 111, 190]. Established plants are drought tolerant[190]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is not very winter hardy in Britain so the roots are best dug up in autumn and stored like dahlias in a cool frost free place[1]. When grown in a light well-drained soil and mulched well, the roots usually survive the winter outdoors, at least in the milder areas of the country[111, K]. This plant is very attractive to slugs[K].

Propagation

Seed - sow March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 4 - 5 weeks at 20°c[164]. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring. The root clump consists of a number of finger-shaped roots joined together at their tops. When dividing this, it is important to ensure that each division has at least one growing bud at the top[111, K]. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are established and then plant them out in late spring, after the last expected frosts[K]. Cuttings during the growing season. These root very easily[200].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Ornamental Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Edible Ornamental Plants

Alvin Nixon Thu May 31 2007

Can anyone tell me if the bulb of the Hippeastrum commonly known as amaryllis,is edible? If so, how is it prepared?

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