Phacelia ramosissima
Branching phacelia
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 3.2
Phacelia ramosissima (Branching phacelia) is a native California subshrub in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by perennial habit, large size, compound leaves, and prominent stamens.
Branching phacelia is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central and southwestern California, Warner Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and northern desert mountains in diverse habitats including sand dunes, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, canyons, and conifer forests at elevations up to 3,800 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces white to lavender to blue flowers 5 to 8 millimeters long in delicate clusters. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems 30 to 150 centimeters tall that are many-branched and either glabrous or densely hairy, it forms an intricately structured plant. Its compound leaves have blades 40 to 200 millimeters long with elliptic to oblong leaflets that are coarsely toothed or lobed. The fruit is a small 3 to 4 millimeter ovoid structure covered in stiff hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 113 sympatric species; distinguished by perennial habit, large size, compound leaves, and prominent stamens
Habitat and range
Habitat: Diverse habitats, including sand dunes, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, canyons, washes, flats, meadows, conifer forest
Elevation: < 3800 m
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Tulare, Ventura, Fresno, Orange, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Mono, Marin, Modoc, Sierra, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Plumas, Mariposa, El Dorado, Nevada, Lassen, Tuolumne, Monterey, Placer, Siskiyou, San Francisco, Alpine, Santa Cruz, Trinity, Lake
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Phacelia ramosissima blooms Apr-Oct.
Conservation status
CNPS 3.2
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 ramosissima native to California?
Yes. Phacelia ramosissima is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia ramosissima bloom?
Phacelia ramosissima blooms Apr-Oct.
Where in California does Phacelia ramosissima grow?
Phacelia ramosissima occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Tulare, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of < 3800 m.
What plant family does Phacelia ramosissima belong to?
Phacelia ramosissima is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
Is Phacelia ramosissima rare or endangered?
Phacelia ramosissima carries California Rare Plant Rank 3.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.