Tradescantia spathacea, the boatlily or Moses-in-the-Cradle, is a herb in the Commelinaceae first described in 1788. It is native to Belize, Guatemala, and southern Mexico (Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán Peninsula) but widely cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in parts of Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and various oceanic islands. Tradescantia spathacea has naturalized in Florida and Louisiana and is listed as a Category I invasive exotic species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. This means that it is known to be "invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida."