Lacy phacelia
Phacelia tanacetifolia
A fast annual cover crop that bees go wild for.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1 ft wide
From: California and SW
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: California, Desert Southwest. Hardy in zones 3 to 10.
The story
Lacy phacelia is a California wildflower that European farmers fell in love with. They sow it by the field as bee pasture, and it ranks among the top honey plants in the world. Its flowers uncurl like a fiddlehead.
Planting
Rake seed into bare soil in early spring, or in fall where winters are mild. It needs darkness to sprout, so cover it lightly.
Growing
It flowers six to eight weeks after sowing. Cut it down before it sets seed if you don't want it back.
Harvest and use
Bees, hoverflies and tiny wasps arrive within days. Dug in or cut and dropped, it feeds the soil and smothers weeds.
What to watch for
The hairs can irritate skin. It reseeds if left.
See if Lacy phacelia fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home