Tiny Jewel

Our son is a gardener who grows heirloom tomatoes from seed & is not interested in ornamental flowers; but, for my birthday, he grew some heirloom flowers seeds for me.  I chose blue Sweet Peas, Bachelor Buttons & a unique Snapdragon.

He added this little jewel of a California Spring wildflower called
FIVE SPOT, (Nemophila Macula) a member of the Borage Family.
This plant is prized in flower gardens for its prolific, striking flowers & fernlike foliage.  It is named for its distinct small  (1 inch/2.5cm) white flowers, tipped with 5 vivid purple spots.  Those spots are not just for show.  They attract a solitary bee who helps with pollination.  

In the wild, it grows in Northern California in grasslands, foothill woodlands & pine forests; but, it is a low maintenance annual in flower beds, that tolerates a variety of soils, loves cool weather but will tolerate heat if shaded. 

 It is the very first of these birthday flowers to bloom for me, & a wonderful surprise.  The flowers only last 1 day & are so small it is easy to miss them.
During these strange STAY AT HOME days, I make a point to go out  see these little jewels.   

The next time I go hiking, I will watch for them peaking out along the shady hillsides.  Maybe I will see them among my favorite California wildflowers, the Purple Lupine, or in the shade of the Silver Bush Lupine. 

One of these days....