Hackelia suaveolens (sweet hound's-tongue)

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Hackelia, Genus, spp., Multiple species,

Genus
Multiple species

stickseeds

Boraginaceae

Temperate North America, Eurasia, and Andean South America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Hackelia is a genus of about 45 species of biennial and perennial herbs in the borage family (Boraginaceae), found in temperate North America, Eurasia, and the mountains of South America. Plants form a basal rosette and erect, leafy flowering stems 20-120 cm (8-47 in) tall, clothed in stiff hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped and hairy, the lower ones stalked and the upper ones stalkless. Small flowers, 2-10 mm across, are carried in branched, often one-sided coiled clusters and resemble those of forget-me-nots; most species are blue with a white or yellow central ring, though some are white. The common name stickseed refers to the nutlets, which are armed with barbed, hooked prickles that cling to fur, feathers, and clothing and disperse the seed. Hackelia grows in open woodland, forest clearings, montane meadows, streambanks, and roadside ground. Several species are weedy and spread readily through their clinging seed, while a few montane species are narrow endemics of conservation concern. Like many in the borage family, the foliage may contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Native Range

Native to temperate North America, Europe, and Asia, with additional species in the Andes of South America. The genus is especially diverse in the mountains of western North America, where many species are restricted to particular ranges or soil types.

Suggested Uses

Grown in woodland gardens, native-plant collections, and naturalistic montane or meadow plantings where the blue forget-me-not-like flowers suit informal schemes. The weedier species are generally kept out of tidy borders because the barbed seed spreads widely and clings to clothing and pets.

How to Identify

Recognised by coiled, forget-me-not-like sprays of small blue or white flowers with a pale central eye, held above hairy, lance-shaped leaves. The defining feature is the nutlet, which bears a margin or surface of barbed prickles that catch on fur and fabric. The stiff, bristly hairs on stems and leaves help separate Hackelia from the smoother true forget-me-nots (Myosotis).

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 3'11"

Width/Spread8" - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

Flowers: May–August

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from late spring into summer, roughly May to August, varying with elevation and latitude. Lowland and biennial species tend to flower earlier, while high-montane species bloom through midsummer. The small flowers are visited by bees and other short-tongued insects, after which the barbed nutlets develop.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue with a white or yellow eye, or white

Foliage Description

green to grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5 (Acidic to alkaline)

3579

Soil Types

loam rocky sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Hackelia grows in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil and is generally undemanding where its usual woodland or montane conditions are met. Biennial species form a rosette in the first year and then flower, set seed, and die in the second, while perennial species return from a woody rootstock. Most species self-sow freely, and the clinging seed can carry plants into unintended parts of a garden. Little feeding or watering is needed once plants are settled in suitable ground. Propagation is from seed, which germinates without special treatment. The bristly foliage and barbed seed leave the plants largely unpalatable to grazing animals.

Pruning

Formal pruning is not required. Flowering stems can be cut back after the seed matures to limit self-sowing from the barbed nutlets. Dead stems of perennial species are removed in late autumn or late winter as the clumps die back.