Cynoglossum officinale – Hound’s Tongue –

Description

Cynoglossum – Hound’s Tongue – There area about 55 species of annuals, biennials, and short lived perennials, in this genus. They occur in grassy places and rocky slopes in temperate areas and tropical upland of the world. The leaves are alternate, narrowly lance shaped to oblong or ovate, and rough, often clasping the stems, the lowers ones stalked. Grown for long lasting, usually blue, sometimes purple, rose-pink, or white flowers, similar to forget-me-not, each has a short, tubular corolla and 5 widely spreading lobes, in one sided, terminal cymes from spring to autumn. Grow in a mixed, herbaceous, or annual border. Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in sun or partial shade, if over nourished the plants tend to flop over. Prone to root rot, stem rot, downy mildew, and powdery mildew. C. officinale – This softly hairy biennial from Europe and Western Asia grows 20-28″ tall and 12-20″ wide. It forms a basal rosette of elliptic-oblong, gray-green leaves, 5″ long. In the second summer it bears ascending, leafy stems that carry loose cymes of dull, dark purple flowers, 1/4″ across. Zones 4-8