Phacelia is incredibly easy to grow from seed. Unlike a lot of other garden favorites, you don’t need to worry about starting these indoors on a windowsill or hunting down young plants at the nursery. You can simply sow the seeds directly into your flower beds, and in just 5 to 7 weeks, you’ll be treated to those gorgeous, lacy clusters of blooms.
Finding the Right Seeds
Depending on where you look, you might see Phacelia listed under a few different nicknames. Keep an eye out for these common terms on seed packets or online descriptions:
- Bee Friend
- Lacy Phacelia
- Purple Tansy
- Scorpionweed
What to Look for When Buying
You’ll often run into specific varieties like *Phacelia tanacetifolia* or *Phacelia purshii*. Honestly, they only differ slightly in how they look and how tall they grow.
If you’re all about the aesthetics, pick the variety that fits your garden’s vibe best. But if your main goal is supporting our local pollinators, any variety will do the trick! That said, I always recommend keeping sustainability in mind—try to look for seeds that are organically produced or locally sourced whenever possible.
One-Time Planting, Lifetime Beauty
In the wild, Phacelia is a pro at self-seeding. If you’re using it as a green manure to improve your soil and don’t want it spreading, you’ll want to mow the plants down before they finish blooming and work the dried cuttings back into the earth.
However, if you want Phacelia to be a permanent guest in your garden, just let it do its thing! If you let the seeds mature and drop in the fall, there’s a very good chance you’ll see that sea of blue flowers popping up again all on its own next year.
Tips for Sowing Success
You can sow Phacelia anytime from spring through fall, as long as you keep the seeds moist during their two-week germination period.
Here’s my quick guide to getting them started:
- Mix the tiny seeds with a little bit of sand. This makes it much easier to spread them evenly across your garden bed.
- Once they’re down, lightly rake them into the soil and give them a good soak.
Because Phacelia grows so fast (blooming in less than two months!), it’s the perfect “filler” plant for any bare spots in your beds. Mix it in with your spring and early summer flowers for a stunning pop of color that the bees will absolutely love.
