Phacelia racemosa
Racemose phacelia
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia racemosa (Racemose phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by small size, entire linear leaves, and tiny bicolored flowers.
Racemose phacelia is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada on gravelly to rocky slopes and in conifer forest at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white flowers with pale blue tube and delicate yellow scales, small and nestled among narrow linear leaves. Growing with erect stems 4 to 18 centimeters tall, often unbranched or with few branches and appearing compact. Its leaves are linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 10 to 40 millimeters long, with proximal to mid-stem leaves arranged opposite and tapering smoothly to the base. The tiny fruit is spherical, 2 to 3.5 millimeters long, and typically contains four finely pitted seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; distinguished by small size, entire linear leaves, and tiny bicolored flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly to rocky slopes, conifer forest
Elevation: 1500-3000 m
California counties: Placer, El Dorado, Butte, Tuolumne, Nevada, Shasta, Plumas, Fresno, Sierra, Orange, Tehama, Trinity, Mariposa, Madera, Alameda, Amador, Alpine, Lassen, Siskiyou, Calaveras
Bloom period
Phacelia racemosa 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 racemosa native to California?
Yes. Phacelia racemosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia racemosa bloom?
Phacelia racemosa blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Phacelia racemosa grow?
Phacelia racemosa occurs in Placer, El Dorado, Butte, Tuolumne, Nevada, Shasta, Plumas, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3000 m.
What plant family does Phacelia racemosa belong to?
Phacelia racemosa is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia racemosa grow in?
Phacelia racemosa grows in Gravelly to rocky slopes, 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.