Navelwort is a drought-tolerant, flowering annual, native to Southwestern Europe in the borage family. It is a relatively small plant, reaching 16 inches high at maturity and 6 inches wide. It has striking blue-green leaves and tiny white flowers that appear in spring and summer. The genus name, Iberodes, refers to the plant's Iberian native home. The species name is Latin for “with leaves like flax". Plant in moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It tolerates sandy and clay soils and prefers a cool climate, but works well in xeriscapes. It is typically grown as an annual, but depending on the climate, it can also be grown as a perennial or biennial. It naturalizes and self-seeds easily and tends to come back in the same area each year. It does not take well to transplanting. The plant is bushy, but can be pruned to shape after flowering is complete. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases. Slugs and snails can be a problem
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.
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