Wikimedia Commons
Boraginaceae
Five-Spot
Nemophila maculata
Cheerful wildness, California meadow joy, sweet surprise.
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Genus
- Nemophila
- Native to
- California
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- Annual
- Height
- 10–30 cm (4–12 in)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Average, moist, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 2–11 (annual)
- Lifespan
- Annual
Did you know
- Each white flower has exactly five purple ink-blot dots, one at the tip of each petal—a perfectly geometric piece of plant graphic design found in no other species.
- Five-spot is native to the alpine meadows of the Sierra Nevada in California, where it grows wild alongside its more famous cousin baby blue eyes.
- The dots act as nectar guides for visiting bees—they direct pollinators precisely to the flower's center, creating an instant visual landing pad.
- Like baby blue eyes, five-spot is a fast and easy-to-grow cool-season annual—it flowers in just 6–8 weeks from seed and self-sows generously for the next year.
- It's the flower that most reliably appears in California 'wildflower mix' seed packets and one of the easiest native wildflowers for children to grow in their first garden.
Color meanings
0
cheerful wildness
1
meadow joy
2
sweet surprise