# Silky Phacelia (*phacelia sericea*) The Silky Phacelia (Phacelia sericea) is a striking perennial wildflower celebrated for its vibrant purple blooms and distinctive silvery-hairy foliage. Thriving in the harsh, exposed environments of high-altitude mountain ranges, this plant showcases remarkable resilience and beauty. Its dense, brush-like flower clusters create a vivid display against the rocky backdrop of its alpine habitat, attracting a variety of pollinators. It's a fascinating example of adaptation to extreme conditions, making it a beloved sight for hikers and botanists alike in the mountainous regions of western North America. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Found in subalpine and alpine environments, typically on rocky slopes, talus, scree, and open ridges with well-drained soil. ![Silky Phacelia](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/253790598/medium.jpeg) Photo: Wendy McCrady, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/253790598) ## Appearance The Silky Phacelia is characterized by its densely hairy, silvery-green leaves, which are typically deeply lobed or dissected, forming a basal rosette or appearing along its erect stems. Its most prominent feature is the upright, dense, cylindrical to conical flower clusters, often described as brush-like. These clusters are composed of numerous small, bell-shaped flowers ranging in color from deep purple to lavender-blue, often with contrasting yellow or cream stamens that protrude beyond the petals, giving the inflorescence a fuzzy appearance. The plant typically grows 10 to 40 centimeters tall. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Boraginales - **Family:** Boraginaceae - **Genus:** Phacelia ## Interesting facts - It plays a crucial role in alpine ecosystems by providing an early and consistent nectar source for high-altitude insect pollinators. - Its dense hairs give the plant a silky, almost fuzzy appearance, which helps it survive in harsh, windy alpine conditions. - Silky Phacelia is a perennial, meaning it lives for multiple years, which is an advantageous trait in environments with very short growing seasons. - The genus name 'Phacelia' comes from the Greek word 'phakelos' meaning 'bundle,' referring to the clustered flowers. ## Special abilities - **Extreme Cold Tolerance:** Silky Phacelia is highly adapted to freezing temperatures and short growing seasons, allowing it to flourish in high-altitude environments where few other plants can survive. Its perennial nature helps it persist through harsh winters. - **Hairy Insulation:** The plant's distinctive silvery, dense hairs (sericeous pubescence) provide insulation against cold, reduce water loss in dry, windy conditions, and protect it from intense UV radiation at high elevations. This adaptation is crucial for its survival. - **Pollinator Magnet:** Its vibrant, showy purple flower clusters and abundant nectar production make it highly attractive to a wide array of high-altitude pollinators, including various species of bees and butterflies, facilitating successful reproduction in often-isolated habitats. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.01-0.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years - **Clutch Size:** 100-1000 ## Diet & Feeding As an autotrophic plant, Silky Phacelia produces its own food through photosynthesis, converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars. It absorbs essential mineral nutrients from the soil through its root system. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Water, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium - **Foraging Method:** Photosynthesis And Nutrient Absorption ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** Alpine Bumblebee (*Bombus alpinus*) — Pollinator for its vibrant flowers. - **Eaten by:** [Hoary Marmot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hoary-marmot) (*Marmota caligata*) — Primary herbivore feeding on leaves and stems. - **Mutualism:** [Mycorrhizal Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mycorrhizal-fungi) (*Glomeromycota species*) — Helps improve nutrient uptake for the plant. - **Competitor:** Alpine Forget-Me-Not (*Eritrichium nanum*) — Competes for light and soil resources. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Silky Phacelia? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Silky Phacelia? 10-40 cm ### How much does Silky Phacelia weigh? 0.01-0.1 kg ### How long does Silky Phacelia live? 3-10 years ### What does Silky Phacelia eat? As an autotrophic plant, Silky Phacelia produces its own food through photosynthesis, converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars. It absorbs essential mineral nutrients from the soil through its root system. ### Where is Silky Phacelia usually found? Found in subalpine and alpine environments, typically on rocky slopes, talus, scree, and open ridges with well-drained soil. ### How does Silky Phacelia hunt? Photosynthesis And Nutrient Absorption ### How many eggs does Silky Phacelia lay? 100-1000 ## Where to spot - [Independence](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/independence) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Silky Phacelia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silky-phacelia)