Lacy Phacelia

Description:

Spring blooms from the Sonoran Desert. The blooms start from the top of the green pods. As additional blooms occur, the pods curl out like a scorpion's tail. More on this in the Notes below. USDA Profile... Symbol: PHTA Group: Dicot Family: Hydrophyllaceae Duration: Annual Growth Habit: Forb/herb Native Status: CAN W L48 N Other Common Names: facelia, fiddleneck

Habitat:

Spotted in the Sonoran Desert in a foothill area. Aside from its ornamental beauty, this plant is very beneficial, per notes below.

Notes:

Per the attached Wikipedia article..."this plant was originally native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is now used in many places in agriculture as a cover crop, a bee plant, an attractant for other beneficial insects, and an ornamental plant. It is planted in vineyards and alongside crop fields, where it is valued for its long, coiling inflorescences of nectar-rich flowers which open in sequence, giving a long flowering period. It is a good insectary plant, attracting pollinators such as honey bees."