Phacelia tanacetifolia

[mgates61]

Ok Cindi.....



WHere can I get seeds for this plant? I want to start them here for my bees  that are comming.

Thanks

Mike

[Cindi]

Mike, you probably missed the part in a post I had made about this bee plant.  I spent many many hours last summer gathering and then recently winnowing the seeds.  I have an enormous amount of seed.  Please PM me with your address and I will willingly send some in the mail to you.  The cost is negligible, meaning next to nothing, only the cost of a postage stamp, nothing really.  The pleasure it brings to me is worth its weight in gold, to help another beekeeper propagate food for their bees.

Phacelia will self-seed readily and you will have it to the very end of time itself at your place, should you be there that long, hee, hee, smiling.

You can also gather the seed when the seed pods turn brown, you will see that.  To keep a continuous supply of phacelia throughout the summer until frost kill, I make a couple of sowings, this prolongs the growing season of this annual.  The seed is sown on top of the soil, it does well with light for germination.  You could cover it with a dusting of soil to hold it down, so it doesn't get blown away or eaten by birds, but that is not necesssary.

PM your personal address, I will send the seeds right away. Have a beautiful and awesome day lovin' this life.  Cindi

[mgates61]

PM sent Cindi.   THanks hun.....U are the best.

Mike

[Joseph Clemens]

Conditions were favorable for Phacelia tanacetifolia this Winter, here in the desert Southwest. Right now the desert seems to be covered with it and it appears to be one of our current pollen sources. However, in our region it has only made an appearance twice in the past ten years. It only seems to grow when our Winters are, at least, moderately moist, and not too cold -- this Winter has been like that, moist and not too cold. Apparently the seed can hang around for quite a long time, and survive lots of hot dry weather, as well as many Summers that have long periods of being warm and wet. It appears to germinate and grow best with cool and moist conditions prevail.

[Joseph Clemens]

Oops, I just discovered that what I had thought of as Physalia tanacetifolia, is more likely -- Amsinckia tessellata. My fiddleneck is a fairly large plant with dark yellow-orange flowers, it is native and the bees are working them. Around the majority of the Amsinckia tessellata plants, are many, what I believe to be Physalia corymbosa, and I haven't seen any bees working them.  :'(

[Cindi]

Joseph, it is funny how plants are perceived.  Your fiddlehead that you speak of Amsinckia tessellata has a similar flower head as the phacelia tanacetifolia, kind of, it has the fiddlehead flower type, probably in the same family.  I googled amsinckia and the pictures were not that great, but there were some vague similarities.

Phacelia can tolerate drought, without a doubt in my mind.  Many of the plants grown in a specific area are on the top of the hill and along a grade, infront of the apiary, full sun, all day long and being on a hill, the drainage is excellent. Phacelia is also grown in shadier and cooler places on my property, it does just as well, maybe a little taller and more lanky, but direct sun is perfect too.

The phacelia tanacetifolia here prefers to germinate in cooler weather, actually, quite cold weather, but it will also germinate in the summertime too.  I usually sow seeds in the beginning of July, this continues the flowering until frost kill, as the other phacelia has began to set seed and is no longer flowering.  I like to prolong flowers seasons, good for the bees.  Phacelia will germinate and flower within about 6 weeks, as does borage too, both intensively wonderful for food for the bees.  I gather many of each species and more......

This is what the phacelia looks like here.  HAve a beautiful and awesome day, loving this life we live.  Cindi

Borage officinalis



Three pictures of phacelia







Phacelia with a borage flower showing above the phacelia