Nemophila menziesii var. atomaria

Baby blue eyes

Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: annual · Native

Baby blue eyes is a California native annual found in northwestern California, central coastal California, and San Francisco Bay Area regions in coastal bluffs and grassy slopes at elevations of 15 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to June, this delicate plant produces white flowers with distinctive black dots and subtle blue tints, creating blossoms 10 to 30 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems to approximately 30 centimeters tall, it forms delicate, spreading patches across its habitat. Its leaves are deeply divided, featuring 5 to 13 distinct lobes that create an intricate, lacy appearance. Each flower emerges with a small 6 to 12 millimeter corolla, creating a charming, soft display across grassy landscapes.

Habitat: Coastal bluffs, grassy slopes

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: 15-1500 m

Bioregions: NW, CCo, SnFrB

California counties: Mendocino, Marin, Humboldt, Sonoma, Trinity, San Mateo, Del Norte, Solano, Santa Clara, Napa, Monterey, Alameda, Lake, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Placer, Santa Cruz

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.