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Hackelia latifolia

forest Hound’s-tongue

Boraginaceae Eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Hackelia latifolia is a soft-stemmed herb of moist forest, growing 1.5-3 feet (45-90 cm) tall with a sprawling to weakly upright habit. Leaves are broad and lance-shaped to ovate, 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, thin-textured and roughened by short stiff hairs on both surfaces. Small five-lobed flowers about 0.1-0.2 inch (3-5 mm) across open in branched, one-sided sprays held above the foliage and are pale blue to white. Each flower is followed by a cluster of four nutlets covered in hooked bristles that catch on fur, feathers, and clothing, carrying the seed away from the parent plant. Stems are brittle and break where they are bent. The plant grows in shaded, moist ground at forest edges and along tracks, and dies back in dry or cold conditions, regrowing from the rootstock or from seed. It spreads mainly through the barbed nutlets and forms scattered colonies in disturbed forest soil.

Native Range

Native to eastern Australia, where it grows in and around moist eucalypt forest and rainforest margins. Found in shaded gullies, forest edges, and along tracks in moist, humus-rich soils.

Suggested Uses

Grown in shaded and woodland gardens as a filler among shrubs and ferns in moist soil, spaced about 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. Suited to naturalistic plantings at forest edges. The barbed nutlets cling to clothing and animal fur, which limits its use beside paths and in areas used by pets.

How to Identify

Recognized by broad lance-shaped to ovate leaves 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long covered with short stiff hairs, and by small pale blue to white flowers 0.1-0.2 inch (3-5 mm) across in branched, one-sided sprays. The clearest feature is the cluster of four nutlets thickly covered in hooked bristles that cling to fur and clothing. Stems are brittle and sprawling.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 3'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers mainly in spring and early summer, roughly September to December in its native range. Individual sprays open over several weeks as the branched flowering stem extends. Flowering is followed by the development of barbed nutlets through summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Pale blue to white

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 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 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Reaches flowering size in one to two seasons

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part to full shade in moist, humus-rich soil that does not dry out for long periods. Needs steady moisture during the growing season; foliage wilts and dies back in drought. Tolerates a soil pH of roughly 5.5-7.0 and grows in loam and clay-loam enriched with organic matter. Self-sows from the barbed nutlets, which attach to passing animals and clothing, and volunteer seedlings appear in surrounding ground. Slugs and snails graze the soft young foliage. Cut-back stems regrow from the base where the rootstock persists.

Pruning

Cut spent flowering stems back after the nutlets form to limit self-seeding and the spread of clinging burrs. Remove dead foliage at the base in late autumn. The plant regrows from the rootstock in spring.

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Unknown