Phacelia fremontii
Fremont's phacelia
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia fremontii (Fremont's phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by yellow throat/blue lobes, yellow filaments and pollen diagnostic.
Fremont's phacelia is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, eastern San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert in sandy or gravelly soils, scrub, and grassland at elevations below 2,900 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces blue to pink or violet flowers 7 to 15 millimeters long with a yellow throat and delicate funnel-shaped corolla. Growing 5 to 30 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that branch at the base and are softly hairy with glandular upper portions. Its leaves are 15 to 50 millimeters long, predominantly basal, with deeply lobed or compound blades that have rounded segments in an oblong to oblanceolate shape. The fruit is an ovoid structure 4 to 6 millimeters long, covered with short stiff hairs and containing 10 to 18 small seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 92 sympatric species - yellow throat/blue lobes, yellow filaments and pollen diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly soils, scrub, grassland
Elevation: < 2900 m
California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Fresno, Ventura, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Mono, Merced, San Joaquin, San Benito, Kings
Outside California: to southwestern Utah, Arizona
Bloom period
Phacelia fremontii blooms Mar-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 fremontii native to California?
Yes. Phacelia fremontii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia fremontii bloom?
Phacelia fremontii blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Phacelia fremontii grow?
Phacelia fremontii occurs in Inyo, San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Fresno, Ventura, Riverside, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 2900 m.
What plant family does Phacelia fremontii belong to?
Phacelia fremontii is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia fremontii grow in?
Phacelia fremontii grows in Sandy or gravelly soils, scrub, grassland.
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.