About Phacelia californica Cham.
Phacelia californica Cham. is a species of phacelia, with the common names California phacelia and California scorpionweed. It is native to coastal northern California and Oregon, where it grows in chaparral, woodland, coastal bluffs, and grassland. It is a perennial herb with a decumbent or erect growth habit. Its branching stems can reach up to 90 centimeters (35 inches) long, and the whole plant has a roughly hairy texture. Its leaves grow up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) long, and the lower leaves are divided into several leaflets. It produces a dense, hairy inflorescence, which is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme holding many bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is white, pale blue, or lavender, and is under 1 centimeter (1⁄3 inch) wide. This native wildflower acts as a food source for the Mission blue butterfly, an endangered species that is endemic to San Francisco.
