Mertensia maritima – Oyster Plant –

Description

Mertensia – There are about 50 species of clump forming, mound forming, or prostrate perennials in this genus. They occur from wet meadows, woodlands, and coasts in Europe, Asia, North America, and Greenland. They have hairy alternate, lance shaped to rounded leaves, sometimes with heart shaped bases, are light to dark green or grayish or bluish green. Pendent, tubular or bell shaped, 5 lobed blue flowers, with flared, funnel shaped mouths, are bourne in terminal or axillary cymes. Grow the smaller species in a gravel bed, rock garden, the larger ones in a herbaceous border or woodland garden. Grow in moist but well drained, humus rich soil in light, dapples shade. Divide clumps carefully as new growth begins in spring. Prone to slugs and snails, powdery mildew, rust, and leaf smut. M. maritima – Oyster Plant – This spreading, prostrate perennial from North America, Greenland, and Northern Europe grows 4″ tall and 12″ wide. It produces fleshy, spoon shaped to oblong-ovate, very glaucous, blue-green leaves, to 4″ long. In early summer it bears bell shaped, bright blue flowers, to 3/8″ across, open from pink buds in branching, terminal cymes. Prefers low fertility and sharply drained, very gritty or sandy soil. Zones 3-7