Hedyotis caerulea (L.) Hook.
Houstonia caerulea L. var. faxonorum Pease & A.H. Moore
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Houstonia caerulea L. Bluets, quaker ladies, azure bluet, bluet
Azure bluets are cheerful natives of central and eastern North America. The name “Quaker ladies” may be a reference to their prim bonnet-like flowers. They prefer moist meadows, lawns, fields, and roadsides, and other disturbed habitats; as well as cliffs, ledges, and freshwater shores. Plants: Bluets are virtually invisble when not flowering, at less than 4″ (10 cm) in height, but they make a big impact when they are, appearing in dense, attractive colonies. Leaves: Leaves at the base of the flowers are relatively large, and oblanceolate to spatulate; while those on the stem are much smaller and similarly shaped, or sometimes linear. Flowers: You would think bluets would be blue, and usually they are pale or darker blue-violet in color, but sometimes they are so pale they are almost white. They are about ¼″ (6.3 mm) in diameter, and appear from April to early July. Fruits: Flattened fruits are 1/16-⅛″ (3-4 mm) wide, and much broader than long. Seeds are globular. Online References:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The tiny leaves make even the ¼-inch flower look big. · 5/19/2021 · Heath Trail, Highland Green, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 16 cm)
5/6/2021 · Tarbox Preserve, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)
5/17/2021 · Bijhouwer Forest, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
5/11/2021 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
8/28/2020 · Jack’s and Litchfield Trails, Chase Reserve, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
5/11/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) Houstonia caerulea description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 17 Oct 2023.
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5/8/2021 · Carol Martin’s, Highland Green, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
5/30/2014 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)
4/21/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)
5/20/2012 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm)
The flowers are diminutive, at less than 1/4" across, but the leaves, usually hidden, are much smaller. · 5/15/2016 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts
5/14/2023 · Cathance River Trails, Topsham, Maine
4/21/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
5/20/2012 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) Range: Zones 3-8:
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