Family: Boraginaceae
northern bluebells, tall lungwort
Derek Anderson
Ray V. Rasmussen
Etymology: Mertensia: named after German botanist Franz K. Mertens (1764-1831)
Plants: erect, perennial, 12"-40" tall, leafy forb
Leaves: hairy on both sides, alternate, with a winged stalk and long pointed tip
Flowers: blue to pink, 5-parted, 1/3"-1/2" long, funnel-shaped; inflorescence a small, branched cluster (cyme) at the end of the stems on a stalks with flat-lying hairs; blooms June-July
Fruits: nutlet, often wrinkled
Habitat: moist; woods
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: erect, perennial, 12"-40" tall, leafy forb
Leaves: hairy on both sides, alternate, with a winged stalk and long pointed tip
Flowers: blue to pink, 5-parted, 1/3"-1/2" long, funnel-shaped; inflorescence a small, branched cluster (cyme) at the end of the stems on a stalks with flat-lying hairs; blooms June-July
Fruits: nutlet, often wrinkled
Habitat: moist; woods
Conservation Status: Native
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 9, Wetland Indicator = FAC USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos
Ray V. Rasmussen
Merel R. Black
Steve C. Garske
Emmet J. Judziewicz
Derek Anderson
Botanical Illustration
