Description New for me in 2025, this little-known native quickly became one of my favorites as the growing season progressed. The fuzzy, grayish green stems and leaves were very handsome, and once the plants started flowering in midsummer, they kept producing new flowers here until frost, though most references say it blooms mostly in early to midsummer. To be honest, the flowers themselves weren’t eye-catching—on the small side, and a subtle greenish white to cream color—but the bumblebees certainly knew they were there and spent a lot of time around the plants. Eastern prairie marbleseed (also known as false gromwell and formerly as Onosmodium bejariense or O. molle) is a member of the borage family, and you can see that in its growth habit, with the curled scorpiod cymes slowly unfurling until the very last flowers opened at the tips. Overall height was about 3 feet for my plants, though I have read that they can reach 5 feet (most likely when they self-sow, or if they’re transplanted as small seedlings, I imagine). Interesting and different, this species is native to the eastern half of North America but not particularly common anywhere. Full sun to partial shade. Perennial; Zones 3 or 4 to 8 or 9, probably. Collected in September and October 2025. At least 15 seeds. Ecotype unknown. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
