# Silverleaf phacelia (*Phacelia hastata*) Silverleaf phacelia is a pretty flower with silver-green leaves and lovely purple blooms. It grows in sunny places and attracts many friendly bees and butterflies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Silverleaf phacelia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phacelia_hastata_9198.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phacelia_hastata_9198.JPG) ## Appearance The Silverleaf phacelia has fuzzy, silvery-green leaves that give it a unique shimmer. Its small, bell-shaped flowers are often violet or bluish-purple, arranged in fascinating coiled clusters that unroll as they bloom. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Boraginales - **Family:** Hydrophyllaceae - **Genus:** Phacelia ## Interesting facts - Bees can't get enough of its nectar, making it a pollinator magnet! - It loves growing on rocky slopes and dry, open spaces! - Its fuzzy leaves shimmer like silver in the sunshine! - The flower stalks look like tiny curled scorpion tails before they bloom! ## Special abilities - **Sun Shield Hairs:** Silverleaf phacelia has tiny, silvery hairs that reflect sunlight, helping it stay cool and save water in dry, sunny places. - **Coiling Flower Power:** Its flower clusters unfurl gradually like a coil, protecting developing buds and allowing a longer bloom period. - **Deep Drinker Roots:** Silverleaf phacelia has a strong taproot that digs deep into the soil, finding water in dry, rocky ground. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.8 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen eagerly. - **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumble Bee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Important native pollinator for flowers. - **Pollinates:** Hummingbird Moth (*Hemaris thysbe*) — Hops between flowers for nectar. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Silverleaf 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 tall is Silverleaf phacelia? 10-40 cm ### How wide does Silverleaf phacelia spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Silverleaf phacelia? 0.3-0.8 cm ### When does Silverleaf phacelia bloom? Late spring to summer ### Is Silverleaf phacelia edible? No ### Is Silverleaf phacelia toxic? Mild ### What is Silverleaf phacelia's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Butte-Anaconda Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butte-anaconda-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/craters-of-the-moon-national-monument-and-preserve) — Idaho, US · National Park - [Old Faithful Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-faithful-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [White River Entrance](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/white-river-entrance) — Washington, US · Historic District - [Cat Tales Wildlife Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cat-tales-wildlife-center) — Washington, US · Zoo - [John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-d-rockefeller-jr-memorial-parkway) — Wyoming, US · Park [View all places to see Silverleaf phacelia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/silverleaf-phacelia) ## 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: [Silverleaf phacelia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silverleaf-phacelia)