Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii)

Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), a common annual of California, Oregon, and Baja California, is a popular garden plant. It is a spring-blooming wildflower that gets its name from the bright blue flowers of two of the three varieties that are recognized. One variety, var. atomaria, is found in the north coast and has almost pure white flowers. It can occasionally be found outside its native range as an introduced species, in Alaska, for example. Baby Blue Eyes grows virtually throughout California at heights from sea level up to almost 6500 feet in many types of habitat. It is easy to grow from seed along with other annuals in a wildflower meadow or in openings between trees and shrubs. From Calscape.

Grower: Larner Seeds

Other Names Used: 

Family: Hydrophyllaceae

Life Cycle: Annual

Plant Type: Herb

Sun Exposure: Full, Partial

Bloom Period: Spring

Bloom Color(s): Blue, White

Plant Height: 6 inches tall

Plant Width: 6 inches wide

California Regions:

• San Francisco Bay Area
• North Coast
• Central Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• Sierra Nevada
• Central California Coast
• Southern Coast
• Southern California Inland

Ecological Benefits:

• Drought Tolerant
• Attracts pollinators

Ecological Functions:

• Grows in Containers
• Groundcover

Habitat Type:

• Chaparral
• Coastal Grassland
• Valley Grassland
• Northern Coastal Scrub
• Oak Woodland 
• Mixed Evergreen Forest
• Riparian

Human Uses/Cautions: 

Skill Level: Beginner

Seed Pretreatment: None