Nemophila menziesii (Baby Blue-eyes)
Credit: Scott Hodges (inset, Jason Johns)
about the species
Nemophila menziesii, Baby blue-eyes, is a California winter annual. It is found from southern California, northward along the central coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills and then northward along the coast ranges to British Columbia. Its flowers generally are bright blue with a white center, often blue-veined and/or black-dotted. It is highly variable with varieties intergrading. N. menziesii var. atomaria is white (or very lightly blue tinted) with black dots and occurs along the northern coast ranges of California. N. menziesii var. integrifolia has small flowers and less-lobed lower leaves and occurs in southern California.
why species was selected
California is known for its spring wild flower displays. Many of these plants are winter annuals which germinate at the beginning of the rainy season in the fall, grow through the winter, flower and fruit in the late winter/early spring and then spend the dry months as seed until the following rainy season. Winter annuals are likely to be highly affected by climate change as rain and temperature patterns are altered. Nemophila menziesii is a representative for these species in the CCGP project.
