Phacelia bicolor
Twocolor phacelia
(c) Robert Webster, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia bicolor (Twocolor phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by yellow tube with purple lobes highly diagnostic.
Twocolor phacelia is a California native annual found in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert in sandy or alkaline scrub environments at elevations of 700 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers with yellow corolla tubes in funnel- to bell-shaped blossoms 8 to 18 millimeters long. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 6 to 40 centimeters tall that are generally branched at the base and covered in short hairs, it has a distinctly aromatic quality. Its leaves are 20 to 60 millimeters long, one to two times compound, with leaflets that are toothed or irregularly lobed. The fruit is an ovoid structure 4 to 6 millimeters long with a short, stiff-hairy beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 70 sympatric species; yellow tube with purple lobes highly diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy or alkaline soils, scrub
Elevation: 700-3400 m
California counties: Inyo, Lassen, Mono, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Butte, Kern, Siskiyou, Riverside
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Phacelia bicolor blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Nemophila: Phacelia has flowers in coiled scorpion-tail clusters; Nemophila has solitary showy flowers at leaf axils.; vs Eucrypta: Phacelia is typically non-sticky with seeds that fall out cleanly; Eucrypta feels very sticky and retains 1-2 seeds in fruit.; vs Pholistoma: Phacelia has coiled flower clusters; Pholistoma has flowers scattered along stems with backward-pointing stem bristles.; vs Echium: Phacelia has coiled clusters of small flowers; Echium has large showy blue-purple flowers in tall spike-like clusters.; vs Gilia: Phacelia has coiled flower clusters and bristly foliage; Gilia has flowers in round heads or loose clusters with smoother foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phacelia bicolor native to California?
Yes. Phacelia bicolor is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia bicolor bloom?
Phacelia bicolor blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Phacelia bicolor grow?
Phacelia bicolor occurs in Inyo, Lassen, Mono, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Butte, Kern, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 700-3400 m.
What plant family does Phacelia bicolor belong to?
Phacelia bicolor is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia bicolor grow in?
Phacelia bicolor grows in Sandy or alkaline soils, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.