General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 10b
Plant Height: 6 to 12 inches
Plant Spread: 8 to 12 inches
Leaves: Unusual foliage color
Evergreen
Other: Silvery blue-green.
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Blue
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Underground structures: Taproot
Suitable Locations: Beach Front
Edible Parts: Leaves
Flowers
Eating Methods: Raw
Cooked
Resistances: Salt tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil

Image
Common names
  • Sea Bluebells
  • Oyster Plant
  • Sea Lungwort
  • Oysterleaf
  • Gray Oysterleaf

Photo Gallery

Date: 2021-06-28
Location: Burnside, Scotland
Date: 06/19/2014
photo by nz_willowherb via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/

Date: 2021-06-28
Location: St Louis
Date: 2017-06-17
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2022-06-09
Oyster Plant (Mertensia maritima).
Location: Fairfax VA | February 2023
Date: 2023-02-11
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2023-04-27
Sea Bluebells (Mertensia maritima) seeds germinated from direct s
Location: Primorsky Kraj, Russia
Date: 2005-08-28
Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima). Wild plant in natural habitat.
Location: Primorsky Kraj, Russia
Date: 2005-09-02
Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima). Wild plant in natural habitat.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2020-12-12
Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima) seeds.

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, AZ
photo credit: Christian Bickel
Location: Primorsky Kraj, Russia
Date: 2005-08-28
Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima). Wild plant in natural habitat.
Location: Primorsky Kraj, Russia
Date: 2005-09-02
Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima). Wild plant in natural habitat.

Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissio
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissio
  • Uploaded by Joy
Plant Events from our members
lovesblooms On March 3, 2018 Seeds sown
winter sown
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