Alphabetical Plant Listing

Collinsia verna (Blue Eyed Mary)

Blue Eyed Mary, Spring Blue Eyed Mary, Spring Blue-Eyed Mary


Collinsia verna (Blue Eyed Mary) is a very beautiful, slightly fragrant wildflower boasting 2-lipped, blue and white flowers on slender stalks from mid-spring to early summer. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and skippers. The flowers arise from the leaf axils, usually in whorls of 4-6. They give way to capsules that contain a few large seeds. This plant spreads by reseeding itself and often forms colonies of variable sizes. Blue Eyed Mary is sometimes so abundant as to form a ravishing blue carpet in the landscape. Blue Eyed Mary dies out in early to mid-summer. The seeds of this charming winter annual are shed in the summer, germinate in the fall, the seedlings persisting through the winter and flowering by mid-spring.

  • Grows up to 12-24 in. tall (30-60 cm) and 12-18 in. wide (30-45 cm). Will self-seed in the landscape.
  • Performs best in part shade in rich, moist, well-drained soils.
  • Stunning when massed in mixed borders, cottage gardens, woodland gardens, and naturalized areas.
  • No serious pest or disease issues.
  • Propagate by seed sown in summer to early fall.
  • Native to the eastern United States.

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Requirements

Hardiness 2 – 11
Plant Type Annuals
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early)
Height 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm)
Spread 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm)
Spacing 18" (45cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma
Attracts Bees
Garden Uses Beds and Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

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James St John (Flickr), By Wolf Mountain Images (Shutterstock)

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 2 – 11
Plant Type Annuals
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early)
Height 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm)
Spread 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm)
Spacing 18" (45cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma
Attracts Bees
Garden Uses Beds and Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

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Collinsia verna (Blue Eyed Mary)

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