Flower profile

Menzies' baby blue eyes

Nemophila menziesii

Native to California

Menzies' baby blue eyes is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.

6states

12,532CA sightings*

13,552U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Nemophila menziesii, known commonly as baby blue eyes or baby's-blue-eyes, is an annual herb, native to western North America.
From Wikipedia's article Nemophila menziesii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 12,532 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #65 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

Menzies' baby blue eyes gift ideas

Handmade menzies' baby blue eyes gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Menzies' baby blue eyes art print
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Menzies' baby blue eyes greeting card
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Menzies' baby blue eyes mug
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Menzies' baby blue eyes earrings
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Menzies' baby blue eyes embroidery pattern
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Menzies' baby blue eyes sticker
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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in February–May.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,287 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records menzies' baby blue eyes in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.

More California flowers

Pacific hound's tongue

Adelinia grandis

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–April

Distant phacelia

Phacelia distans

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–May

Alkali heliotrope

Heliotropium curassavicum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile NEME.
iNaturalist, Nemophila menziesii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Nemophila menziesii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Nemophila menziesii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Justin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.