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Hackelia suaveolens

sweet hound's-tongue

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Fragrant (light)

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

Overview

Hackelia suaveolens is an erect biennial or short-lived perennial herb 24-48 inches (60-120 cm) tall with branched, softly hairy stems rising from a basal rosette. The leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, soft and grey-green, larger at the base and reducing up the stem. Small flowers about 0.2 inch (4-6 mm) across are carried in branched, one-sided sprays at the stem tips, pale blue to white with a yellow throat in the typical forget-me-not pattern of the borage family. Each flower gives rise to a cluster of four nutlets covered in hooked, barbed prickles that cling to fur and clothing, spreading the seed. The plant grows in moist, shaded woodland and disturbed ground and behaves as a coloniser of cleared sites. The clinging burrs make the plant a nuisance in pasture and gardens. It is native to southeastern Australia and dies back after seeding.

Native Range

Hackelia suaveolens is native to southeastern Australia, in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. It grows in moist eucalypt forest, shaded gullies, and disturbed clearings on fertile, often damp soils.

Suggested Uses

Grown occasionally in shaded native and woodland gardens for its blue forget-me-not sprays. More often it appears as a self-sown coloniser of moist disturbed ground. The barbed seeds limit its use in areas where pets or livestock pass through.

How to Identify

Identified by tall branched stems 24-48 inches (60-120 cm) high carrying soft grey-green lance-shaped leaves and sprays of small pale blue to white forget-me-not flowers about 0.2 inch (4-6 mm) across. The fruit splits into four nutlets armed with hooked barbed prickles that catch on fur and fabric. The barbed burrs and pale blue flowers separate it from true forget-me-nots, which have smooth nutlets.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers in spring and early summer, mainly October to December in its native range. The small flowers open in succession along one-sided sprays. Barbed nutlets form soon after and cling readily once ripe.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale blue to white

Foliage Description

grey-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 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part to full shade on moist, fertile soils with reliable moisture, reflecting its woodland origins. It tolerates a range of soils but performs poorly in hot, dry, exposed sites. The plant self-sows freely, and the barbed seeds spread on animals and clothing, so it can colonise beyond where it is wanted. As a biennial or short-lived perennial it dies back after seeding and renews from the seed bank. It needs little feeding on fertile ground. Spent plants are cleared before the burrs ripen to limit spread.

Pruning

Flowering stems are cut down before the nutlets ripen to reduce the spread of clinging seed. The plant dies back naturally after seeding and is removed at that point. No ornamental pruning is needed.

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Unknown

Planting Guide

Planting Methods & Timing

Planting Method

direct sow

Direct Sow Timing

autumn

Plant Spacing

12 inches