• Photo of Nemophila menziesii (Nemophila menziesiis)

Plant Profile: Nemophila menziesii

Taxonomy: Nemophila menziesii

Names

Baby Blue-eyes, Baby-blue-eyes, Nemophila

  • Photo of Nemophila menziesii (Nemophila menziesiis)

Phonetic Spelling:nee-MOF-ih-lah men-ZEE-see-eye

Genus:Nemophila

Species:menziesii

Family:Boraginaceae

This annual thrives in cooler summer environments, particularly where nighttime temperatures regularly fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In regions with hot summers and cold winters, it's advisable to start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost in spring to ensure flowering from spring until the onset of summer heat. For areas with warm winters (USDA Zones 8-10), seeds should be sown in late summer or early fall to achieve blooms from winter through spring. Under ideal conditions, these plants can self-seed in the garden and are capable of withstanding light foot traffic.

Nemophila menziesii Feature Summary

Nemophila menziesii Image Gallery

Tags

#white
#full sun tolerant
#annual
#blue
#drought tolerant
#wildlife plant
#nectar plant
#fall interest
#specialized bees
#summer flowers
#cool temperatures
#pollinator plant
#foot traffic tolerant
#partial shade tolerant
#bee friendly

Similar Plants

Nemophila menziesii Feature Summary

Attributes
AK , CA , NV , OR
Members of the genus Nemophila support the following specialized bee: Hoplitis (Robertsonella) simplex.
Flowers
Bright-blue, five-petaled, bowl-shaped flowers with white centers. These occur in clusters at branch tips.
White
Blue
4-5 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Pinnately lobed gray-green leaves (to 2” long).
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
1-3 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Wet
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Rock Garden
Container
Hanging Baskets
Pollinators
Specialized Bees

Nemophila menziesii Attributes

Nemophila menziesii: Country Or Region Of Origin

Mexico

Nemophila menziesii: Distribution

AK , CA , NV , OR

Nemophila menziesii: Wildlife Value

Members of the genus Nemophila support the following specialized bee: Hoplitis (Robertsonella) simplex.

Nemophila menziesii: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Nemophila menziesii: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Nemophila menziesii Flowers

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Description

Bright-blue, five-petaled, bowl-shaped flowers with white centers. These occur in clusters at branch tips.

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue
filter_vintage
White

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Nemophila menziesii: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Nemophila menziesii Leaves

Nemophila menziesii: Leaf Description

Pinnately lobed gray-green leaves (to 2” long).

Nemophila menziesii: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Nemophila menziesii: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Nemophila menziesii: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Nemophila menziesii: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Nemophila menziesii Whole Plant Traits

Nemophila menziesii: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Nemophila menziesii: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Nemophila menziesii: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Nemophila menziesii: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Nemophila menziesii Cultural Conditions

Nemophila menziesii: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Nemophila menziesii: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Nemophila menziesii: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Nemophila menziesii: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Nemophila menziesii: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Nemophila menziesii: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Nemophila menziesii Stem

Nemophila menziesii: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Nemophila menziesii Landscape

Nemophila menziesii: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Nemophila menziesii: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Nemophila menziesii: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Nemophila menziesii: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Nemophila menziesii: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Nemophila menziesii: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy