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Blue Curls

Phacelia congesta

Other common name(s):

Caterpillars, Fiddleneck

Family:

Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Annual

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Rocky, Limestone, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Blue, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Nectar Insects, Bees

Maintenance

Does best if protected from the west sun. The foliage can produce a minor rash for some people. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Blooms March-May. Blue Curls is a leafy annual or biennial herb depending on weather. The purple to lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers are deeply lobed at the rim. They grow in slender, coiled clusters which uncurl as the buds develop. Leaves are soft and deeply lobed. Usually grows in large colonies.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Phacelia congesta var. dissecta

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 162. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHCO2. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Phacelia+congesta&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=5560&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=31473#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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