Spring Wildflowers - The Desert Bluebells

by Lucinda Walter

Title

Spring Wildflowers - The Desert Bluebells

Artist

Lucinda Walter

Medium

Photograph - Photography, Digital Art, Fine Art

Description

Every spring these beautiful little flowers arrive only if there is enough fall or winter rains. These wildflowers are dependent on moisture. This year these little gems have arrive on the scene about one month earlier than normal because of good moisture in the fall and warmer temps in the desert southwest in the winter.
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Plant name: Desert bluebells
Botanical name: Phacelia campanularia
Virtues: This desert native annual does fine in dry conditions. Will grow in tight spaces such as between pavers and in front of flowerbeds. Covers itself with cheerful bright blue flowers for about a month.
Flowers: Tubular flowers have five petals. Bright inky blue with yellow stamens.
Foliage: Medium green.
Habit: A 4- to 14-inch-tall clump.
Season: Spring. Staggered seed sowing will result in longer bloom season as later-sown seedlings come into flower while earlier plants finish. Each plant blooms for a month.
Origin: Southwestern United States
Cultivation: Prefers gritty, fast-draining soil and full sun. Adaptable and easy. It�s an annual that dies with the first frost, but may reappear from dropped seeds the next year.

- See more at: http://www.hortmag.com/plants/plants-we-love/desertbluebells#sthash.HbjSsEPh.dpuf
http://www.hortmag.com/plants/plants-we-love/desertbluebells
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Desert Bluebell- Phacelia campanularia is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae, known by the common names desert bells, desert bluebells,[1] California bluebell,[2] desert scorpionweed,[3] and desert Canturbury bells.[4] Its true native range is within the borders of California,[1][2][3] in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, but it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant and it can be found growing elsewhere[5] as an introduced species.
This annual herb has an erect stem reaching 0.7 metres (2.3 ft) in maximum height. It is covered in glandular hairs. The leaf blades are somewhat rounded with toothed edges. The inflorescence is a loose cyme of flowers. The flower has a bright blue corolla up to 4 centimeters long which can be bell-shaped, funnel-shaped, or round and flattened. It can have white spots in the throat. The protruding stamens and style can be 4.5 centimeters long. The fruit is a capsule up to 1.5 centimeters long.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacelia_campanularia
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All images are copyright Lucinda Walter. The materials contained may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or downloaded in any way, shape or form. All rights are reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the Artist is strictly prohibited.

Uploaded

February 28th, 2014

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