Key Features
- Produces attractive lavender-blue to purple, bell-shaped flowers with a soft, graceful appearance.
- Fast-growing annual flower known for its delicate foliage and abundant blooms.
- Excellent choice for flower beds, borders, cottage gardens, containers, and pollinator-friendly spaces.
- Flowers are attractive to bees and other beneficial pollinating insects.
- Easy-to-grow flower variety suitable for gardeners looking to add color and natural beauty to outdoor spaces.
Growing Benefits
- Adds beautiful cool-toned color and texture to garden landscapes.
- Helps create a welcoming environment for bees and other pollinators.
- Suitable for flower borders, wildflower-style plantings, and cottage gardens.
- Can establish quickly under suitable growing conditions.
- A versatile choice for gardeners seeking an attractive annual flowering plant.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Phacelia, Lacy Phacelia, Purple Tansy
- Botanical Name: Phacelia tanacetifolia; Plant Type: Annual flowering plant; Colors: Lavender, blue-purple; Height: Typically around two to three feet.
- Sunlight & Soil: Full sun; prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Water: Keep soil evenly moist during germination and provide moderate watering after establishment.
- Germination & Planting: Germination commonly occurs within about one to two weeks; sow shallowly at approximately one-eighth inch deep with around six to twelve inches between plants.
- Growing Zones & Uses: Adaptable across many temperate growing regions; commonly grown for ornamental gardens, borders, wildflower plantings, pollinator gardens, and naturalized areas. Flowering generally begins several weeks after planting under favorable conditions.
Growing Tips
- Choose a sunny location with loose, well-draining soil for the best growth.
- Sow seeds directly where they are intended to grow because Phacelia can be sensitive to root disturbance.
- Keep the soil lightly and consistently moist while seeds are germinating.
- Avoid excessive watering once plants are established, especially in poorly draining soil.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in a cool, dry, dark location away from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Keep them in a tightly sealed seed packet or airtight container. Proper storage helps maintain seed quality for future planting.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Phacelia tanacetifolia is commonly known as lacy phacelia because of its finely divided, fern-like foliage.
- Its purple-blue flowers are particularly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects.
- Phacelia is widely used in pollinator-friendly plantings and can also be grown as a cover crop or green manure in suitable settings.
- The plant belongs to the borage family, Boraginaceae.