Omphalodes verna

RHS Plant Profile
creeping forget-me-not

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creeping forget-me-not RHS

Other common names

Venus's buttons, blue-eyed Mary, blue navelwort

Synonyms

Cynoglossum omphaloides

Herbaceous Perennial
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A vigorous, mat-forming perennial to 20cm tall, with oval leaves and sprays of white-eyed, bright blue flowers 12mm wide in spring

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Boraginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Matforming
Genus
Omphalodes can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with simple leaves and terminal racemes or cymes of blue or white flowers resembling those of Myosotis (forget-me-not)
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow as vigorous ground cover in humus-rich soil in lightly shaded places

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Rock garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Ground cover
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free