Phacelia distans – “Distant Phacelia”

Also Known As: Wild Heliotrope
Other Botanical Names: Phacelia cinerea
Family: Waterleaf (Hydrophyllaceae)
Bloom Period: Mar-Jun
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Sandy and gravelly soils
Leaves: Pinnately-compound with rounded lobes; alternate
Translation: “Phacelia” is Greek for “a cluster,” which refers to the crowded flowers in many species of this genus; “distans” is Latin for “widely spaced,” which describes the arrangement of the anthers in the flower.
Notes: Often mixed up with Lacy Phacelia. Main differences: Leaves are more lobed than serrated, flowers fall off quickly (so only a few are blooming at once), and anthers are shorter.
Native American Uses: The Kawaiisu steamed and ate the greens.
Animal Associations: Nectar source for bees, including Honey Bees. Host plant for Ethmia brevistriga moth.