Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida

Caterpillar phacelia

Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: annual · Native

Caterpillar phacelia is a California native annual found in southern coastal ranges, southwestern California, and western desert regions in rocky slopes, oak and pine woodlands, and grasslands at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces distinctive lavender flowers with gray-hairy calyx lobes. Growing with slender stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it spreads across its rocky habitat with delicate branching. Its leaves are deeply divided, with narrow, finely cut segments that give the plant a feathery, intricate appearance. The plant's genetic makeup is characterized by 11 chromosome pairs, contributing to its unique botanical signature.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, oak/pine woodland, grassland

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 2000 m

Bioregions: SCoR, SW, w D

California counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Riverside, Inyo, San Benito, Kern, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Mariposa

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