Cover Crop - Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)
Great for attracting Honey Bees. Native Bees and other Pollinators
Ideal for Xeriscaping Areas and Projects
As a cover crop, Lacy Phacelia aggressively out-competes weeds and will absorb excess nitrates and calcium in the ground, releasing it as it decomposes. Phacelia is a fast-growing cover crop that produces masses of flowers which attract a myriad of bees and other pollinations plus predators. New research has found that growing phacelia as a cover crop helps to build and stabilise soils, outperforming many other cover crops, including legumes.
Lacy Phacelia is also known as Lacy Scorpion-weed. This bristly annual is native to California and Arizona and is found in open flats and slopes below 4,000 feet. The violet flowers occur in fiddlehead clusters, which unfold more as plants continue to bloom. Can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Used extensively as a cover crop and for bee forage. It is a top honey-producing plant for honeybees, and many native pollinators and beneficial insects are attracted to it. Tolerant of poor soils and drought.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phacelia Tanacetifolia
COLOR: Purple
TYPE: Annual
LIGHT: Full Sun
MOISTURE: Dry, Moderate
HEIGHT: 12-24 in
PERIOD: Spring, Summer
SEEDS/LB: 235,000
OZ per 1000 SqFt: 3
LBS per ACRE: 7
HARDINESS ZONE(S): 3-10
