Phacelia longipes
Long stalk phacelia
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia longipes (Long stalk phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by red-purple stems and long petioles distinctive.
Long stalk phacelia is a California native annual herb found in the southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and southwestern Mojave Desert in gravelly mountain washes, slopes, chaparral, and woodland habitats at elevations of 400 to 2,450 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pale magenta or pale blue flowers 7 to 12 millimeters long in open cymes with distinctive purple stamens. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are red-purple and sparsely hairy, it has a delicate branching structure. Its basal leaves are predominantly ovate to round, 20 to 140 millimeters long, with irregular crenate or toothed edges. The fruit is a small ovoid structure 5 to 8 millimeters long, covered in short glandular hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 36 sympatric species; red-purple stems and long petioles distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly or rocky soils, mountain washes, slopes, chaparral, juniper woodland, conifer forest
Elevation: 400-2450 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Alameda, San Diego, Mono
Bloom period
Phacelia longipes blooms Apr-Jul.
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 longipes native to California?
Yes. Phacelia longipes is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia longipes bloom?
Phacelia longipes blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Phacelia longipes grow?
Phacelia longipes occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Alameda, San Diego, Mono, at elevations of 400-2450 m.
What plant family does Phacelia longipes belong to?
Phacelia longipes is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia longipes grow in?
Phacelia longipes grows in Gravelly or rocky soils, mountain washes, slopes, chaparral, juniper woodland, 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.