Plant of the Month: May

Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’ AGM  Common name:  Navelwort Family: Boraginaceae Vital statistics Height and spread: 25cm (10in) x 40cm (16in) Form: Clump-forming, evergreen perennial Soil: Moist but well-drained, deep, humus-rich soil Aspect: Deep or partial shade Hardiness:   Fully hardy.

Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’ AGM  @ Rosemoor

As with all plants bearing Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram’s name, this blue-eyed beauty has a special place in Rosemoor’s heart as the gentleman in question – better know for his love of flowering cherries – was a long-standing and very close personal friend of Lady Anne Berry right up until his death in 1981 at the grand old age of 100. We grow this pretty, forget-me-not like plant in the borders of the Exotic Garden (formerly the Old Kitchen Garden), where it relishes the dappled, woodland-edge conditions that prevail there. 

Omphalodes

Genus of about 28 species of annuals, biennials and perennials, some of which are evergreen, some semi-evergreen. They come from a wide range of habitats in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. They have clusters of simple leaves either in basal tufts or arranged alternately on stems. In spring and summer they produce blue or white flowers, similar to forget-me-nots, each with a short tube and five spreading lobes, usually in terminal racemes or cymes, sometimes singly from the leaf axils. Most are shade-loving, used as ground cover in a border, or rock or woodland garden. 

Omphalodes cappadocica  

This is a clump-forming, rhizomatous, evergreen perennial with ovate to heart-shaped, pointed, finely hairy, mid-green, basal leaves to 10cm (4in) long. Produces loose, terminal racemes to 25cm (10in) long, of three to 12 white-eyed, azure-blue flowers, each to 5mm (about 1/4in) across, in early spring. It originates from woodland in Turkey.

Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’ AGM

This cultivar is more compact, with larger, deep blue flowers, 7mm (about 1/4in) across.

AGM

The RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee awarded Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’ an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Compact rhizomatous perennial to 20cm (8in) tall, with finely hairy, ovate, evergreen leaves and loose racemes of vivid blue flowers 7mm (about 1/4in) wide

Cultivation

Most of the perennials thrive in moist, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil in partial shade. However, this leaves them very susceptible to damage by slugs and snails.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring: sow annuals in situ; sow perennials in containers in a cold frame. Divide perennials in early spring.