Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Boraginaceae

Genus:

Mertensia

Species:

Mertensia platyphylla

USDA Symbol:

MEPL

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

60 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

blue, pink

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★☆☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers cool, mountainous regions

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Sow fresh seed in fall for natural cold stratification. Germination can be erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI