Phacelia quickii
Quick's phacelia
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia quickii (Quick's phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by NONE sympatric - geographically isolated.
Quick's phacelia is a California native annual found in the northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains in open granitic areas at elevations of 1,000 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate plant produces white to blue or lavender flowers 3 to 5 millimeters wide with widely bell-shaped corollas. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 4 to 18 centimeters tall, it has a simple or branched structure that is softly puberulent. Its leaves are linear to oblanceolate, 8 to 50 millimeters long, tapering gently to the petiole and remaining entire along the edges. The fruit is a small spherical structure 2 to 2.5 millimeters long, containing 2 to 4 pitted seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: NONE sympatric - geographically isolated
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open granitic areas
Elevation: 1000-2400 m
California counties: El Dorado, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, Calaveras, Alameda, Tulare, Alpine, Amador, Marin, Placer
Bloom period
Phacelia quickii blooms May-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 quickii native to California?
Yes. Phacelia quickii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia quickii bloom?
Phacelia quickii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Phacelia quickii grow?
Phacelia quickii occurs in El Dorado, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, Calaveras, Alameda, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of 1000-2400 m.
What plant family does Phacelia quickii belong to?
Phacelia quickii is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia quickii grow in?
Phacelia quickii grows in Open granitic areas.
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.