PHACELIA
Family HYDROPHYLLACEAE
Phacelia campanularia
Annual
Among the numerous species of this genus, the
Californian annuals are particularly favoured
in flower gardens.
In Phacelia campanularia the leaves are ovate
and toothed and the stems rise to eight inches,
bearing several intense blue flowers of bell shape.
Phacelia ciliata has fragrant, pretty lavender-blue
flowers and grows twelve inches high.
Phacelia viscida (syn. Eutoca viscida) reaches
one to two feet, with small flowers of bright
blue with purple or white centres, particularly
attractive to bees.
A deeper tone of violet-blue is seen in the large-flowered
Phacelia parry.
Phacelia tanacetifolia is distinct, having clustered
heads of small lavender or blue flowers on one-and-a-half
to three-feet stems.
Phacelia whitlavia (syn. Phacelia grandiflora),
one foot, is the Californian Bluebell, with blue
or purple flowers; var. alba has white flowers,
and var. gloxinoides has white flowers with blue
centres.
Easily raised by sowing seed in April in well-drained
soil where the plants are to flower.
Propagation is from seed.
The flowering season is from late June to Michaelmas.
Phacelia Campanularia
Hardy Annual.
Height about nine inches.
Flowers blue, June to September.
Noticeable for the beautiful cobalt blue of its
flowers, which are bell-shaped. The seed should
be sown a little later than the bulk of the annuals,
and a little extra care given to the operation;
the plant is not always easy to raise.
Phacelia congesta is a very different plant from
Phacelia Campanularia.
Its foliage is much cut, the flowers are small
and of a dull purple, closely set on a recurving
spike or spray, in the number of Heliotrope.
They are followed by tufted seeds resembling a
plume or feather.
Altogether, the plant is more curious than beautiful.
It is extremely easy to grow, and in favourable
soil will appear self-sown year after year. |
