Nemophila
( nee - MOFF - il - uh )
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At-A-Glance InformationThis genus of flowering annuals, commonly called Baby Blue Eyes, includes species which need full sun to partial shade and regular water to perform well. They form trailing plants that reach 6 to 12 inches tall and spread to a foot wide when mature. Leaves are pale green to true green and hairy. These plants can self-sow in cool, moist conditions but will struggle in heat and humidity. Species are native mainly to the western United States, though some are also found in Mexico and the southeastern United States. Use Baby Blue Eyes to spill over walls and container edges, in mixed beds, or as groundcover plants in small areas.
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Nemophila Species and Varietals
The genus Nemophila is a member of the plant family Boraginaceae and includes 13 distinct species. The plants in this genus are related to Phacelia (Heliotrope). The genus name is derived from the Greek words nemos (meaning wooded pasture) and philos (meaning loving). The best growing zones for Nemophila are USDA hardiness zones 3-10. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Nemophila aphylla (Small Flower Baby Blue Eyes) This species is native to the southeastern United States, where it can be found growing in moist woodland areas. These plants produce very small white to pale blue flowers that bloom from March through May. Individual plants reach up to 6 inches tall when mature. |
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Nemophila heterophylla (Small Baby Blue Eyes, White Nemophila, Canyon Nemophila, Variable-Leaved Nemophila) These plants are native to Oregon and California, and grow in a variety of landscapes, including chaparral and mountain foothills. Flowers are white, and fleshy leaves and stems are hairy. Plants generally top out at around 8 inches in height. |
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Nemophila maculata (Five-Spot, Calico Flower) This species of Nemophila is native to California. White flowers are marked with purple veins and a large purple dot marks the tip of each petal. Blooms appear in spring and summertime. Plants reach between 6 and 12 inches tall and have a trailing habit. Stems are slender and succulent. |
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Nemophila menziesii (Nemophila insignis) (Baby Blue Eyes, Menzies' Baby Blue Eyes)
This species is native to California and the southern areas in Oregon. It blooms freely in gardens, and has sky blue flowers with white centers. These plants reach up to 4 to 6 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide when mature. Cultivars are listed and described below:
This species is native to California and the southern areas in Oregon. It blooms freely in gardens, and has sky blue flowers with white centers. These plants reach up to 4 to 6 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide when mature. Cultivars are listed and described below:
'Penny Black'
This species has dark purple flowers marked with white at the edge of each petal. |
'Snow Storm'
This variety is commonly grown up in Oregon, and has white flowers that are spotted with black. |
'Snow White'
With pure white blooms. |
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Nemophila pedunculata (Littlefoot Nemophila, Meadow Nemophila, Meadow Baby-Blue-Eyes, Spreading Nemophila) These plants are native throughout western North America, and produce fleshy stems and thick, bristly leaves. These are prostrate plants, and produce broadly bell-shaped flowers that are white with blue or purple markings. Individual plants can reach up to 1 to 12 inches tall and a foot wide. |
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Nemophila phacelioides (Large-Flower Baby-Blue-Eyes, Texas Baby-Blue-Eyes, Flannel Breeches) This species is native to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, where it grows in moist woodland openings. These herbaceous annuals produce small white to purple-blue flowers. These plants grow to 6 to 12 inches tall and spread 1 to 2 feet wide. |
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Nemophila spatulata (Sierra Baby Blue-Eyes, Sierra Nemophila) These plants are annual herbaceous wildflowers of California, Oregon, and Nevada. They grow on mountainous slopes, and produce bowl-shaped white or blue veined and/or dotted flowers. Foliage is green. Sierra Nemophila typically grows to 3 to 12 inches tall. |
Caring for Nemophila
Grow Nemophila plants at the edges of beds and borders, in rock gardens or containers, or as members of pollinator, native, meadow, informal, or cottage gardens. These plants can be purchased as starts from a reputable nursery or grown from seed in the garden. If starting seeds indoors, make sure to give them 6-8 weeks of growing time before setting them out into the garden after the last frost of the year has passed. Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart for best growth and airflow. They will self-sow. They appreciate full sun and a sheltered position; ideally, Baby Blue Eyes do best when they can get between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day. They will flower and grow best with this type of exposure. Although they can grow in some shade, they tend to become leggy and will not grow or flower as well. In warmer climates, make sure they receive some shade during the warmest hours of the day. Ensure that soil is well-draining, fertile, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 8.0 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). Mulch around the base of plants with 1-2 inches of organic mulching material to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and increase soil moisture retention. These plants are considered to be moderately drought-tolerant, but will experience some dieback in drought conditions if they do not receive supplemental waterings.
Water newly planted Nemophila regularly as they develop strong root systems. At maturity, these plants appreciate consistently moist soils, and do well in depressions in the landscape. As a general rule of thumb, irrigate whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Young plants can be pinched to encourage a bushier habit. Otherwise, they do not need much in the way of pruning, except to occasionally snip off dead, damaged or diseased foliage. Remove seed heads once they form if you would not like these plants to freely reseed in the garden. Nemophila are annual plants, pulled at the end of the growing season, composted, and
Caring for Nemophila in Containers
Nemophila, or Baby Blue Eyes, can be successfully grown in containers. Many home gardeners will choose to either plant them alone to fill up an entire container or use them as a filler (or spiller) plant amongst taller flowers. They rarely exceed 8 inches in height. If growing in a mixed container, make sure to plant an already somewhat established Nemophila; growing from seed in a mixed container is difficult due to root competition. Pick a container that has good drainage holes at the bottom, and fill it with well-draining potting soil. If soil is not well-draining, make sure to amend it with plenty of sand or perlite before adding plants. They have a shallow root growth, so they can be cultivated in tabletop or low containers, but also do well in taller mixed containers. Water regularly, keeping soil relatively moist at all times. In general, it is best to irrigate whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. At the end of the growing season, remove plants from containers and throw them in the compost pile.
Water newly planted Nemophila regularly as they develop strong root systems. At maturity, these plants appreciate consistently moist soils, and do well in depressions in the landscape. As a general rule of thumb, irrigate whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Young plants can be pinched to encourage a bushier habit. Otherwise, they do not need much in the way of pruning, except to occasionally snip off dead, damaged or diseased foliage. Remove seed heads once they form if you would not like these plants to freely reseed in the garden. Nemophila are annual plants, pulled at the end of the growing season, composted, and
Caring for Nemophila in Containers
Nemophila, or Baby Blue Eyes, can be successfully grown in containers. Many home gardeners will choose to either plant them alone to fill up an entire container or use them as a filler (or spiller) plant amongst taller flowers. They rarely exceed 8 inches in height. If growing in a mixed container, make sure to plant an already somewhat established Nemophila; growing from seed in a mixed container is difficult due to root competition. Pick a container that has good drainage holes at the bottom, and fill it with well-draining potting soil. If soil is not well-draining, make sure to amend it with plenty of sand or perlite before adding plants. They have a shallow root growth, so they can be cultivated in tabletop or low containers, but also do well in taller mixed containers. Water regularly, keeping soil relatively moist at all times. In general, it is best to irrigate whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. At the end of the growing season, remove plants from containers and throw them in the compost pile.
Propagation
Nemophila, or Baby Blue Eyes, plants are most commonly propagated via harvesting and sowing seeds. These plants will freely re-seed and provide gardeners with free plants year after year that can be dug up and planted where they are desired. To propagate your Nemophila plant via seed, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Nemophila by Seed
Propagating Nemophila by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded and are relatively round. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- In either late winter or early springtime, get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 10-20 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Nemophila seed pods.
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Nemophila seeds are small, brown, and delicate, with pock-marked seed coats.
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Problems and Pests
Nemophila, or Baby Blue Eyes, does not typically suffer from many pest or disease issues in the landscape. For information on commonly-encountered plant diseases and pests in the home garden, consult the following pages:
Gallery
Baby Blue Eyes is a California wildflower that blankets open spaces with beautiful light blue color.
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This native California landscape is dotted with Nemophila, Eschscholzia, and Linaria.
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Five-Spot is a popular species, producing white flowers with distinctive blue-purple markings.
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A Nemophila seedling.
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These plants grow well in the ground as well as in containers.
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An informal garden space featuring Nemophila.
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Here, Baby Blue Eyes is planted alongside Viola for a multicolored effect.
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This rock garden features bright red Poppy, white Nemophila, and light yellow Foamflower.
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Nemophila plants will freely self-seed and spread across the landscape over time.
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Videos
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How to grow Nemophila from seed.
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How to cultivate Baby Blue Eyes plants in the garden.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 453, Nemophila
