What is Phacelia?
Phacelia is a genus of about 60 species in the family Boraginaceae, native to North and South America. They develop purple or blue flowers arranged in short clusters or fascicles.
Why is Phacelia good for bees?
The blue flowers are rich in nectar and pollen and for this reason phacelia is often sown as a ‘bee crop’ to provide food for bees as well as to attract them to other crops that need pollinating. It is also sown ‘en masse’ as a weed-suppressing cover crop.
Can Phacelia be used as cut flowers?
HARVEST OR PICK Phacelia can be used as a cut flower. Picking flowers encourages more to be produced so enjoy them in displays. As an annual, phacelia will set seed in autumn and then die-off at the onset of winter.
Is Phacelia poisonous?
Is Phacelia Poisonous? Phacelia is generally not considered toxic. However, some species can cause skin irritation similar to that of Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). Phacelia can be used as cover crop.
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Is Tansy same as phacelia?
What is Phacelia? Also known as purple tansy or scorpion-weed, phacelia is related to borage (Borago officinalis), this annual is known for its long bloom time of 6 to 8 weeks and its highly attractive, unique flower.
Is Lacy Phacelia edible?
There are no edible uses listed for Phacelia tanacetifolia.
Is phacelia a good cut flower?
They're a lovely and long-lasting cut flower, too! Lacy Phacelia can also be used as a summer cover crop, similar to buckwheat, to attract pollinators, add organic matter, and crowd out weeds. Or it can be planted in fall and allowed to winter-kill (if temperatures drop below 20 degrees F).
Is phacelia an herb?
Lacy phacelia is a small annual herb plant, which only grows up to 39” – 40” inches. The stems are erect, glandular, and succulent with very few to no branches.
Is phacelia poisonous to dogs?
Lacy phacelia is considered non-toxic, but it is a nitrate accumulator and should be used in a mix when fed to livestock.
Is phacelia a native plant?
Phacelia tanacetifolia is native to the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is most common in the deserts of southern California at elevations below 1,500 m (5,000 ft), but may be occasionally found at much higher elevations.
Does phacelia fix nitrogen?
Phacelia does not fix nitrogen but is a very rapidly growing annual nitrogen holder. It is particularly good at attracting bees, hoverflies, and wasps.
What does a phacelia plant look like?
The Lacy phacelia has fluffy blue-purple flowers and is a heavy nectar producer. Phacelia campanularia is also known by the common names desert bells, desert bluebells, and California bluebells. The flowers of California bluebells are bell-shaped and deep blue. Its leaves are dark green and serrated.
Is phacelia cut and come again?
Like many hardy annuals Phacelia is a cut and come again flower, so you will get armfuls of the beautiful blighters all season long, even from a modest patch.
Is phacelia good for bees?
The flowers are very attractive to pollinating insects including honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees and hoverflies so it will be a valuable end of season food source.
Is phacelia grown as a crop?
A single hectare of phacelia, sown in April, has both enhanced biodiversity at the farm and dealt effectively with a problem weed seed bank. "As a cover crop, the phacelia is doing its job - preventing leaching of nitrogen and soil erosion, but allowing the black-grass to flush through," says farms manager Andy Blant.
How do you pronounce phacelia?
Phonetic spelling of Phacelia. phaceli-a. fuh-see-lee-uh.Meanings for Phacelia. any plant of the genus Phacelia. Emery Metz.Synonyms for Phacelia. flower. phacelias. Kimberly Matthews.
What is phacelia used for?
Benefits and Uses. Phacelia can be used as cover crop. The plant is a great nitrogen holder and weed suppressor, as it aggressively outcompetes weeds and absorbs excess nitrates and calcium from the soil.
What does the name Phacelia mean?
Phacelia. (Scorpionweed) Name Meaning. Flower Symbolism. Interesting Facts. Plant Data. Phacelia is a genus of about 60 species in the family Boraginaceae, native to North and South America. They develop purple or blue flowers arranged in short clusters or fascicles.
How many species of phacelia are there?
Type species. Phacelia secunda. J.F.Gmel. Diversity. About 200 species. Synonyms. Eutoca R.Br. Phacelia ( phacelia, scorpionweed, heliotrope) is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America. California is particularly rich in species with over 90 recorded in the region.
What is the major contact allergen of P. crenulata?
The major contact allergen of P. crenulata has been identified as geranyl hydroquinone and of P. minor as geranylgeranylhydroquinone. The mining bee Andrena phaceliae is a specialist pollinator of this genus in the Eastern United States.
Is phacelia a hydrophyllaceae?
This placed Phacelia within the Hydrophyllaceae. Further molecular taxonomic analysis of the Boraginales has divided the Boraginales in two and placed Phacelia among the monophyletic herbaceous Hydrophyllaceae in Boraginales II. The genus includes both annual and perennial species. Many have been cultivated as garden and honey plants .
What is the essence of phacelia?
The Phacelia essence: – can be very helpful for the treatment of sinus problems and headaches as well as drug addiction. – can be used by people lacking in confidence, for people who feel that they need to constantly seek the approval of others. – it offers emotional support when a person is easily exploited.
Why is phacelia a good flower for honey bees?
Because: · It has a great habit of flowering abundantly and for a long period. This increases beneficial insect numbers and diversity.
Why is phacelia honey so creamy?
Taste: nice soft lemony scent and taste; Crystallization: slowly, into fine crystals making the honey finely creamy, because its fructose contain is higher than that of glucose. (like acacia honey .) Because phacelia is a very common plant in North America, it is considered to be Winnie the Pooh’s favorite honey!
How long does it take for a phacelia to flower?
Phacelia is a long-day plant and requires a minimum of 13 hours of daylight to initiate flowering (roughly mid-April to early September in the mid-Atlantic); – it is comparable to buckwheat (see Buckwheat honey) in many ways.
Why is purple tansy important?
For humans it is highly important as it provides us with honey in times when other flowers cannot resist the bad weather conditions. On beesource.com, a thread by thread by Summer1052 says: “Last year, I planted a wildflower mix that included purple tansy. It was covered with bees.
What are the beneficial insects that acacias attract?
But it also attracts other beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps and minute pirate bugs. · It provides high quantities of nectar, being the second plant after the acacia which gives most nectar.
Why did beekeepers bring Acacia to Europe?
They brought it here and even made entire crops, because in some years, like it was in this 2016, due to unfavorable weather conditions, acacia had a very poor production. And they managed to save the spring honey production with phacelia.
What is a lacy phacelia?
What is Lacy Phacelia? The lacy phacelia flower is a 1 to 3 foot (0.5-1 m. ), leggy wildflower with a bloom that looks similar to thistle. It is a heavy nectar producer. An attractive addition to the ornamental bed, you might want to plant some of the purple tansy wildflower to attract pollinators.
Why is lacy phacelia called honey?
Lacy Phacelia Info. Lacy phacelia info says the plant is well-known for its ability to attract bees and butterflies to an area. Some refer to the lacy phacelia flower as the honey plant, as it is one of the top 20 flowers used in the natural production of honey. There appears to be a shortage of pollinators for the garden because ...
Where do lacy phacelia flowers grow?
The lacy phacelia flower grows best in sunny spots where soil is poor, rocky or sandy. If the soil in your flower beds has been amended, try growing the purple tansy wildflower outside of the garden, but close enough that bees and butterflies can conveniently pollinate the garden blooms. Printer Friendly Version.
Does Lacy Phacelia attract bees?
Lacy phacelia growing in or near the garden not only attracts bees, but butterflies as well. Include the purple tansy wildflower near vegetable and ornamental gardens for bigger blooms and vegetables. Lacy phacelia growing is sometimes used in almond orchards for this purpose.
How to grow phacelia?
Phacelia grows well on most soils that have reasonable drainage and do not get too water-logged. If your soil is sticky then dig in coarse sand or fine pumice to help improve drainage – or plant phacelia in a half-barrel, tyre stack or pot.
Why is phacelia a bee crop?
The blue flowers are rich in nectar and pollen and for this reason phacelia is often sown as a ‘bee crop’ to provide food for bees as well as to attract them to other crops ...
When do phacelia flowers bloom?
Phacelia plants usually flower from spring right through summer.
Where are phacelia native to?
The two hundred species of phacelia are native to North and South America, and include annual, biennial and perennial plants. Other common names for phacelia include blue tansy, purple tansy and scorpion plant. Lacy phacelia is considered to be a wildflower.
Why do farmers grow phacelia?
Farmers also grow phacelia to draw the bees and beneficial insects, which are essential to farming and pollinating crops. Phacelia is planted next to vineyards and orchards, and vegetables. Wherever you need the pollinators, the phacelia will draw them to the area.
How to grow Lacy Phacelia?
closeup of Lacy phacelia seeds. 2. Direct Sowing Into The Garden. Phacelia grows well when direct seeded into the garden. If you decide to sow your seeds directly into the garden, make sure to prepare the planting area. Clear away all vegetation, and prepare the area for the seeds by loosening up the soil.
How long does it take for a phacelia to bloom?
Phacelia generally starts to bloom approximately sixty days from gemination, and will flower once the days are long. It requires about thirteen hours of daylight to begin flowering. Once it starts to bloom it will continue for an extended period of time, often for a four to six week period.
Where did silky phacelia originate?
The article notes that most of the known phacelia plant species have originated in the western United States and northern Mexico, and that new species continue to be identified. Lacy phacelia.
Is Lacy Phacelia perennial or annual?
The many species of phacelia include annual, biennial and perennial plants. Lacy phacelia is an annual flower, however Silky phacelia is a perennial. Although Lacy phacelia is an annual, due to reseeding it can return for many years in the same garden. Lacy phacelia in the garden.
Can Lacy Phacelia be cut?
The stems are tall and straight, which makes for excellent use as a cut flower. Lacy phacelia is a species of the Genus Phacelia, which also includes about two hundred other species.
Where to grow phacelia
Grow phacelia in a well-prepared seed bed if growing as a cut flower, a vacant bed on your allotment or vegetable patch if growing as a green manure, or scattered into gaps in the border if growing as an ornamental bee plant. Phacelia can be grown in pots but bear in mind it can grow up to 1.2m tall.
How to care for phacelia
Phacelia should flower around six to eight weeks after sowing. If growing as a green manure, make sure you dig the plants back into the soil before flowering, as this is when the plant material contains the most nutrients, and also you don’t run the risk of letting the flowers develop seeds that can spread everywhere.
Growing phacelia: problem-solving
Phacelia is generally trouble free. The only issue with growing phacelia is that it self-seeds readily. if flowers aren’t removed it can become invasive. However, by simply removing flowers and/or controlling its spread by collecting seed yourself, you can prevent this problem.
