Phacelia campanularia

Desert bluebells

Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert bluebells is a California native annual found in desert regions in desert and dry habitat at elevations likely around 300 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces bright blue flowers with a distinctive white spot at the base of each petal, creating a striking visual display. Growing 10 to 70 centimeters tall with erect, branching stems covered in short glandular hairs, it forms an open and delicate structure. Its leaves are ovate to nearly round with toothed edges, creating a soft and textured appearance. The fruit is ovoid, 7 to 15 millimeters long, and contains 40 to 90 small, intricately textured seeds with a net-like surface.

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Mendocino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.