Tinantia anomala (False Dayflower)

False Dayflower is an erect annual that is related to commelinas and spiderworts. It features purple flowers. Its grass-like leaves emerge in the fall and remain green through the winter months. It grows rapidly in early spring and blooms mid-spring, attracting bumblebees. A few weeks later, its seeds draw squirrels and turkeys. This entire cycle is usually completed by summer, when the plant has usually turned yellow and limp.

False Dayflower is great for naturalizing in a woodland garden, where it can colonize to form a bright green winter groundcover. It becomes stressed in continuous full sun.