Characteristics
- Scientific name: Omphalodes verna
- Family: Boraginaceae
- Synonyms: Spring Navelnuts
- Occurrence: Europe
- Growth type: perennial
- Growth height: 5 cm to 20 cm
- Flower: grape-like
- Leaf: ovate
- Fruit: Klausen fruit
- Roots: Taproot with stolons
- Hardiness: hardy
- Use: ground cover, planter
growth
memorial is a native perennial from the borage family, which unfolds its picturesque foliage and flowers in the light shade. Originally at home in the forests of southern Europe, this natural beauty has long been naturalized in Germany and Austria. Other names of the historical plant species are spring navel nut, spring commemorative or large flower commemorative. Hobby gardeners value Omphalodes verna as an easy-care ground cover with these growth characteristics:
- growth type: perennial, herbaceous flowering plant, cushion-like-creeping, forms stolons above ground.
- growth height: 5 cm to 20 cm, rarely up to 30 cm during flowering.
- growth width: 20cm to 30cm.
- special feature: Spring bloomers with delicate forget-me-not like inflorescences.
- Horticulturally interesting properties: absorbs in winter, hibernates as a frost-resistant root ball, undemanding, tolerates root pressure and cutting, non-toxic.
also read
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blossom
In spring, lovely, delicate blossoms tower over the ground-covering foliage of memorial. These properties are characteristic of the umbilicus flower:
- inflorescence: loose racemose, few branches with 10 to 20 individual flowers.
- single flower: fivefold, plate-shaped, 10 mm to 15 mm in diameter.
- flower color: sky blue to bright blue with white Eye.
- heyday: April and May
Withered flowers turn into inconspicuous hermit fruits, each with four single-seeded chambers.
Sheet
Decorative leaves serve as a green backdrop for the sky-blue flowers. A commemorative sheet can be accurately identified by these characteristics:
- leaf shape: long-stalked, broadly ovate, acuminate, 4 cm to 15 cm long.
- texture: wrinkled
- leaf color: green
After the flowering period, the leaves stay on until well into autumn. Only after the first frost do the leaves wither without any noteworthy autumn colouring.
use
The focus of the use of memorial is the function as a ground cover in semi-shady to shady locations. Spring navel nuts also set decorative accents on the balcony. This overview shows where the distinctive perennial likes to be an eye-catcher:
| Garden | planting idea | balcony | planting idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| groundcover | Carpet of flowers under deciduous trees | Pot | Eye-catcher on the north balcony |
| underplanting | at the feet of clematis | bucket | Underplanting of screen shrub |
| wood edge | Color accent along the privacy hedge | balcony box | beautiful in the partially shaded flower box |
| natural garden | Plant strips as bee pasture | flower staircase | blue flowers on the lowest tier |
| shade bed | associated with shade perennials | hanging basket | as a hanging plant peat moss |
| cemetery | Tuff on shady resting place | Euro pallet | trendy wall greening |
How commemorative blends harmoniously into the shady perennial bed shows the following video:
Blossoms in the shade bed with a memorial
plant memorial
As a ready-to-plant perennial, you can buy memorials in specialist shops for a price of 4 to 5 euros. You can find out when, where and how to plant Omphalodes verna here:
planting time
Tree nurseries and garden centers offer commemorative flowers in pots. This has the advantage that you can plant the perennial at any time between spring and autumn. The best planting time is August and September. October brings us a sun-drenched one Indian summer, the window for planting remains open until early November.
Location
As a shade bloomer, memorials would like these conditions in the bed and on the balcony:
- Partially shady to shady location, preferably under trees or at the edge of trees.
- Fresh, moist soil, permeable and rich in humus.
- Ideally low in lime with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6 to 7.5.
Plant a memorial in the bed
Good soil preparation ensures that taproots and runners can develop well. With the right planting distance, the perennials do not get in each other's enclosures and quickly form a dense carpet. The best planting tips to read:
- Soak root ball: Place the root ball in a bucket of rainwater.
- tillage: Dig up bed soil, remove stones, weeds and old roots.
- planting technique: dig spacious pit, excavation with compost soil mix, pot out water-soaked perennials, plant in the middle and water.
- planting distance: 25 cm to 30 cm, corresponds to 15 to 17 plants per m².
If you socialize memorials with other perennials, strong foothills can cause distress to the plant neighbors. In this case, contain the urge to spread with a root barrier a.
Planting a memorial in a pot
On the balcony, memorials are ideally placed in a humus potting soil planted without peat. Aggregates, such as coconut soil as a peat substitute as well expanded clay make the substrate structurally stable and well permeable. The inorganic expanded clay balls also serve as drainage on the bottom of the container. Plant the perennial just as deep in the ground as it was in the purchase container. Measure the planting depth so that a watering edge remains free. Water freshly planted umbilicus deeply.
digression
Remember my forget-me-not difference
maintain memorial
In the right location, memorials are very easy to care for. The mainstay of the simple care program is an adequate water supply. to fertilize the perennial is not. Division puts a stop to invasive spread and at the same time functions as vegetative propagation. The optional care of the cut is primarily considered for aesthetic reasons. In the planter, hardy commemorative plants are grateful for winter protection. Read important care tips in brief:
Pour
Freshly planted and during the flowering period, the risk of drought stress is particularly high. How to water navel nuts correctly:
- Keep commemorative soil evenly moist, especially after planting and during the flowering period.
- In summer, water or sprinkle under the dense canopy of trees when it is dry (even with light rain).
- Use mainly collected rainwater or stagnant tap water as irrigation water.
propagation
The easiest way to multiply memorials is through division. This method also acts as a rejuvenation and curbs the formation of suckers. How to do it right:
- Share commemoration in spring.
- root ball with the spade cut off
- digging fork slide under the perennial and lift out of the ground.
- Remove dead, senile plant parts.
- Place the root ball on a firm surface and cut in half.
- Plant and water sections at the new location.
The generative propagation by sowing is possible. Seed sources are hard to find. Hobby gardeners harvest the ripe Klausen fruits with the single-seeded chambers. The seeds are kept dry and dark until spring for cultivation on the windowsill from March or direct sowing from April.
To cut
With withered inflorescences and drawn-in leaves, memorials are no longer a feast for the eyes in autumn. You can let the morbid fade or with one perennial pruning keep things in order. Wait until all parts of the plant have completely died. During this process, nutrients are transferred from the leaves to the root ball as an energy reserve for the next shoot. With a perennial sickle or scythe cut off the foliage at ground level.
hibernate
As a groundcover in the bed, Commemorative is reliably hardy. If the perennial thrives in the planter, the root ball is vulnerable to frost. A warm fleece winter coat and a wooden base prevent frost damage. Ideally, you should overwinter the umbilicus as a potted plant in a frost-free, dark winter quarters at temperatures of around 5° Celsius.
Popular Varieties
In the garden, the pure original species Omphalodes verna enjoys the company of these beautiful memorial varieties:
- Alba: white flowering variety, slow-growing, forms fewer runners, 5-10 cm high, 20-25 cm wide.
- elf eye: magical memorial, sky-blue flowers with a light eye, grows to 15 cm high and 30 cm wide.
- grandiflora: historical variety with extra large, bright blue flowers, 5-10 cm high, up to 30 cm wide.
- Lore Goetz: impresses with bright blue flowers and broad, lanceolate ornamental leaves, height of growth 15-20 cm.
The species Omphalodes cappadocica, also known as the Caucasus memorial, fulfills the desire for a memorial without spurs. The clump-forming perennial blooms from April to June with gentian blue flowers.
FAQ
Is memorial poisonous?
Memorial is non-toxic. This circumstance makes the perennial the ideal ground cover for the family garden. The lovely spring bloomer with sky-blue flowers and striking foliage poses no danger to pets either.
Where to plant memorials?
Commemorative is a picturesque ground cover for a partially shaded to shaded spot. Ideally, plant the undemanding perennial under trees or on the edge of trees, where leafy crowns filter the sunlight. In the diffuse twilight, the sky-blue spring blossoms set decorative accents. Use spring navelnuts as an underplanting of clematis, climbing roses, hydrangeas or privacy screen shrubs, because the perennial tolerates root pressure without any problems.
When is the best time to plant spring navel nuts?
You can plant spring navel nuts in pots from spring to autumn. The best time to plant the perennial is in late summer and autumn. In the warm sun garden floor memorial can quickly put down roots and is prepared for the first frost.
What are good planting neighbors for memorials?
Socialize memorial plants with other shade-tolerant perennials that know how to defend themselves against the strong foothills. Recommended plant neighbors are: Funkien (Hosta), Bergenia (Bergenia), Corydalis (Corydalis), Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) and Cowslips (Primula). Where light is scarce, ornamental leaf plants harmonize impressively with sky-blue memorial flowers. Which includes Purplebells (Heuchera), lady's mantle (Alchemilla) and ornamental grasses such as the white-edged Japanesesedge (Carex morrowii).
