Oblongleaf bluebells
Mertensia oblongifolia
Family: Boraginaceae
What it is like
Mertensia oblongifolia is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Open slopes and drier meadows, often amongst sagebrush, from the plains and foothills to moderate elevations in the mountains, occasionally to the alpine zone.
Western N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Flowers - raw. Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are rather hairy and are not so nice when eaten raw.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil with some shade. A rather difficult plant to grow, it is best in a moist position.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. Protect from direct sunlight. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division, with care, in early spring or autumn.
Best place to grow: Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet