About Phacelia purshii Buckley
Phacelia purshii Buckley is a delicate plant, reaching 30–45 centimeters (12–18 inches) in height, with slender branching stems. Its leaves are arranged alternately, feature many sharply pointed lobes, and grow up to 8 centimeters (3 inches) long. Lower leaves on the plant have a petiole, while upper leaves are sessile. The inflorescence is a loose scorpioid cyme, with an axis curved like a scorpion’s tail, holding 8 to 30 flowers. Flower colors include light blue, violet, lavender, or nearly white, with pale centers, and each flower has 5 fringed lobes. This species is native to the Appalachian Mountains and adjacent areas ranging from Alabama to Pennsylvania. Additional populations occur in the Tennessee/Ohio Valley, the central Mississippi Valley (Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas), and the Great Lakes region (Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, among other locations). It grows in floodplain forests and alluvial clearings. Its flowers bloom in early spring, from April to June, and attract a variety of bees and butterflies.
