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Phacelia bipinnatifida

purple phacelia

Boraginaceae

Central and southeastern United States

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Phacelia bipinnatifida is a woodland biennial in the borage family that forms a low leaf rosette in its first year and sends up branched, hairy flowering stems 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall in its second spring before setting seed and dying. The leaves are 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long and deeply cut into toothed lobes, giving a lacy outline, and the whole plant is covered in coarse, sometimes sticky hairs. From April to June it bears loose coiled clusters of bell-shaped flowers 0.5-0.75 inch (12-18 mm) across in lavender to blue-purple with paler centers and long, projecting stamens. Native to the central and southeastern United States, it grows in rich, moist deciduous woods, on shaded slopes, and along streambanks, often in limestone-influenced soils. P. bipinnatifida needs shade and consistently moist, humus-rich soil; it wilts and declines in dry or sunny sites. As a biennial it persists in a planting only by self-sowing, so it can vanish if seedlings are weeded out or the ground is disturbed. It can also seed around more widely than intended in moist shade.

Native Range

Native to the central and southeastern United States, from Virginia and Ohio west to Missouri and south to Alabama and Arkansas. It grows in moist, rich deciduous woodlands, shaded slopes, and streamsides, frequently over limestone.

Suggested Uses

Used in shade and woodland gardens, native-plant borders, and naturalized drifts under deciduous trees, spaced 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) apart. Its spring flowers draw early bees and other pollinators. It combines with other spring woodland wildflowers that share its need for moisture and shade.

How to Identify

Look for a hairy woodland plant with deeply twice-divided, fern-like leaves 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long and branched stems to about 24 inches (60 cm). Flowers are bell-shaped, 0.5-0.75 inch (12-18 mm) across, lavender to blue-purple with conspicuous stamens, arranged in one-sided coiled clusters that uncurl as they bloom. The biennial habit and divided leaves separate it from the annual Phacelia spp. species of open ground.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 2'

Width/Spread9" - 1'3"

Colors

Flower Colors

purple

blue

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from mid spring to early summer, mainly April through June. The blue to violet bell-shaped flowers open progressively along coiled stalks, so each cluster shows buds and open flowers at once. After bloom the plant ripens seed and dies.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

lavender to blue-purple

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow P. bipinnatifida in part to full shade in moist, fertile, well-drained woodland soil rich in leaf litter. It needs steady moisture through the growing season and tolerates neither drought nor full sun, both of which cause early wilting and decline. A loose leaf-mulch mimics its native forest floor and aids self-sowing. No fertilizer is needed in humus-rich ground. Because it is biennial, a self-renewing stand depends on letting some plants set and drop seed each year. It has few pest problems, though slugs may damage young rosettes in wet conditions.

Pruning

Routine pruning does not apply to this short-lived biennial. Spent flowering stems can be left in place so seed ripens and drops for the next generation, or cut back after seeding to tidy the planting.