Native to East Asia, Cynoglossum amabile is a cool-season annual that performs best where summers do not arrive too early or stay too long. It reaches one to two feet and produces loose sprays of small, vivid blue flowers through late spring and into summer, reseeding freely enough that a single planting tends to sustain itself across several seasons. The foliage is soft and gray-green, covered in fine hairs that give it a slightly silvery cast — a good foil for the intensity of the bloom color.

In warmer climates, afternoon shade protects the plant from the heat that curtails its flowering, and choosing a position at the front of a border or between other plants helps keep the display going longer. Powdery mildew can appear when air circulation is poor, so resist the urge to crowd plants; adequate spacing is the simplest preventative. It works well in cottage gardens and informal borders, where its willingness to move around and fill gaps is an asset rather than a nuisance.