Japanese name: ヒナソウ（雛草） Scientific name:Houstonia caerulea
[Overview]
An evergreen perennial no more than 20 cm tall, growing in moist grasslands and rocky places in its native habitat.
The leaves are of two kinds, basal leaves and simple leaves opposite on the stem, both obovate and about 2 cm long.
The leaf margins bear sparse white hairs.
A single flower about 1 cm across is borne at the tip of the flower stalk; the corolla opens in a cross shape and is white to pale blue with a yellow center.
[History]
It was introduced as an ornamental in the Meiji era.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It also spreads readily from self-sown seed.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated, moderately moist place.
Take care not to let it dry out; for potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and for plants in the ground, water if sunny weather continues in summer and the soil dries.
If fertilizer is applied at planting, no further fertilizing is particularly necessary, but potted plants may be given diluted liquid fertilizer in spring and autumn.
If you do not intend to collect seed, remove spent flowers promptly.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
