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Blue Showers

Cynoglossum amabile (sign-oh-GLOSS-um a-MAH-bih-lee)

Family: Boraginaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Chinese Forget-me-not is classified as a perennial, biennial and cool weather annual, all depending on where grown. In warmer climates, planting should be done in an area that receives shade in the afternoon. This cool weather annual will not perform at its best when situated in climates that experience long, hot summers. The bloom period will decline in the late summer and not extend into the fall. Easily grown from seed, it can bloom in the first year and continues to reseed itself for many months of sky blue flowers. Its self-seeding tendencies make some declare it as weedy. Use in the border of rock, cutting or cottage gardens or in a container. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Powdery mildew can be an issue. Allowing adequate space between plants will provide good airflow, thereby alleviating the powdery mildew issues. Overwatering can lead to fungal growth.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 61 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Allium giganteum Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum Thymus vulgaris
Similar, less problematic Salvia farinacea

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual
Life cycle
Annual
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Both stalked basal leaves up to 8" long and smaller sessile stem leaves up to 3" are produced.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Funnel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The plant will produce an abundance of showy sprays containing 1/4" flowers from late spring to the first frost.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
The seedpod has five large seeds with a surface that can attach to animals or birds, thereby spread into the surrounding areas.
Stem detail
It can grow as a single stem or multi-stemmed plant.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central Nepal to Central China
Wildlife value
Pollinators are attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Easy to Grow
Food & Medicine

Uses (ethnobotany)

Borders, beds

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio; Slope/Bank; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#summer annual #problem for horses #full sun tolerant #herbaceous #herbaceous perennial #heat intolerant #humidity intolerant #dry soils tolerant #drought tolerant #naturalized area #clay soils intolerant #bushy #pollinator plant #cutting garden #wet soils intolerant #poisonous #poisonous if ingested #weedy #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Drought; Dry Soil
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison symptoms
Horses: liver disease (must be ingested in large amount or over a long time period)
Toxic principle
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.