Phacelia hydrophylloides
Water leaf phacelia
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia hydrophylloides (Water leaf phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by perennial habit distinctive among mostly annual congeners.
Water leaf phacelia is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada and high Cascade Range in conifer forest, meadows, and mountain slopes at elevations of 1,500 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to purple-blue flowers in dense head-like clusters with bell-shaped corollas 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall that are hairy but generally not glandular, it develops a distinctive growth habit. Its leaves have oblong to ovate blades 15 to 60 millimeters long, typically with coarse teeth or 1 to 2 deep lobes, creating a textured appearance. The fruit is an ovoid structure 5 to 7 millimeters long, containing 3 to 8 small seeds with a distinctive net-like, pitted surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 39 sympatric species; perennial habit distinctive among mostly annual congeners
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, flats, meadows, conifer forest
Elevation: 1500-3100 m
California counties: Fresno, Amador, Tulare, Alpine, Mono, Mariposa, Plumas, Nevada, El Dorado, Calaveras, Placer, Madera, Orange, Tuolumne, Sierra, Lassen, Tehama, Shasta
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Phacelia hydrophylloides blooms Jun-Sep.
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 hydrophylloides native to California?
Yes. Phacelia hydrophylloides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia hydrophylloides bloom?
Phacelia hydrophylloides blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Phacelia hydrophylloides grow?
Phacelia hydrophylloides occurs in Fresno, Amador, Tulare, Alpine, Mono, Mariposa, Plumas, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3100 m.
What plant family does Phacelia hydrophylloides belong to?
Phacelia hydrophylloides is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia hydrophylloides grow in?
Phacelia hydrophylloides grows in Slopes, flats, meadows, conifer forest.
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.