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Phacelia campanularia
Also called California Bluebell, Desert Bluebells, Desert Phacelia, Desert Scorpion Weed, Desert Scorpionweed
Desertbells is a bright blue, bell-flowered annual native to the deserts of southern California and Arizona, grown in gardens for its flowers. It is easy from seed sown in cool weather in full sun and dry, sandy soil.
Phacelia campanularia is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrophyllaceae, known by the common names desertbells, desert bluebells, California-bluebell, desert scorpionweed, and desert Canterbury bells. Its true native range is within the borders of California, in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, but it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant and it can be found growing elsewhere as an introduced species.
The anthocyanin pigment phacelianin was isolated from the flowers of this species and is involved in the formation of their blue color. It is also responsible for the blue of the flowers of Evolvulus pilosus.
The juice, sap, or hairs may cause irritation or a skin rash and should be washed from skin as soon as possible.
California phacelia · Wild canterbury bells · Lacy phacelia · Scorpionweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Phacelia campanularia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
