Friday’s seeds: Phacelia sericea

It is always exciting to find Phacelia sericea (Silky Phacelia, blue alpine phacelia, silky scorpion weed) in flower when hiking up in the mountains in mid to late summer (various mountain ranges of Western North America). It grows on dry, rocky slopes, near avalanche chutes and rocky forest openings, often in small groups or as single specimens. It is not difficult to recognize it after the deep-blue, violet flowers with exerted stamens and silvery aspect of the foliage (pinnatifid leaves with a covering of short, soft hairs).

Phacelia sericea in late July, Lizard Ranges, close to Fernie, SE BC

I had the luck to catch it in flower twice in the Rocky Mts. in SE British Columbia, and I even found older capsules with few seeds, which were preserved under the deep layer of snow.
I managed to grow a seedling which has developed nicely but then disappeared suddenly in the summer. As I understand, many others tried to grow it with the same outcome; even with a stellar drainage provided, muggy weather pose a big problem.

I will give it one more try this year. It is a warm germinator and the seedlings are not very difficult (it forms a taproot so it is best to plant the young seedlings in the rockery fast).