Phacelia mutabilis
Changeable phacelia
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Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia mutabilis (Changeable phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by perennial habit and unequal fruiting calyx diagnostic.
Changeable phacelia is a California native perennial herb found in the Klamath Ranges, northern coastal California, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Jacinto Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in open forest and roadside habitats at elevations of 900 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces white to lavender flowers 4 to 6 millimeters long with a tubular to bell-shaped corolla. Growing 10 to 60 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are sparsely long and stiff-hairy, it develops a distinctive growth pattern. Its mostly basal leaves range from 20 to 180 millimeters long, typically lanceolate to ovate, and may be entire or have three segments with the terminal segment being the largest. The fruit is a small 2 to 3 millimeter ovoid structure covered in stiff hairs, containing 1 to 4 pitted seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 65 sympatric species; perennial habit and unequal fruiting calyx diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, ridges, open forest
Elevation: 900-3500 m
California counties: Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Modoc, Riverside, Butte, Sierra, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Plumas, Placer, Tuolumne, Trinity, Mariposa, Amador, Shasta, Tehama, Lake, Calaveras, Lassen, Nevada, Kern, Mono, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Colusa, Glenn, Alameda, Napa, Santa Cruz, Inyo, Del Norte, Ventura
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada, Baja California
Bloom period
Phacelia mutabilis blooms May-Oct.
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 mutabilis native to California?
Yes. Phacelia mutabilis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia mutabilis bloom?
Phacelia mutabilis blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Phacelia mutabilis grow?
Phacelia mutabilis occurs in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Modoc, Riverside, Butte, Sierra, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 900-3500 m.
What plant family does Phacelia mutabilis belong to?
Phacelia mutabilis is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia mutabilis grow in?
Phacelia mutabilis grows in Roadsides, ridges, open 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.