Description
Eritrichium – Alpine Forget-me-not –
There are about 30 species of short lived, low growing, tufted or cushion forming perennials, in this genus. They mostly occur in high altitude scree and rock crevices in Europe, the Himalayas, and North America. They are grown for their short, axillary or terminal, raceme like cymes of blue, occasionally white flowers, similar to forget-me-nots (Myosotis), which are borne from spring to summer. The leaves are soft, alternate, usually elliptic to linear, softly hairy, and gray green. Suitable for rock gardens.
Grow in poor, sharply drained, peaty, sandy soil in full sun to part shade, with protection from winter moisture.
E. nanum – This cushion forming perennial from the Alps and Rocky Mountains grows 2″ tall and 3″ wide. It produces rosettes of elliptic or inversely lance shaped to linear, densely silky-hairy, silver gray-green leaves, to ½” long. In late spring and early summer, it bears short tubed, salverform, yellow eyed, pale blue flowers, to 3/8″ across, are carried in raceme like cymes.
Zones 5-7
