New Faces in the Waterleaf Family

I'm no stranger to the Waterleaf Family (Hydrophyllaceae ). In Ohio and North Carolina I measured spring's progress with the sight of Virginia ( Hydrophyllum virginianum) and Broad-leaf Waterleaf ( H. canadense) , as well as Small-flowered Phacelia (Phacelia dubia ) and the delicately fringed Miami Mist (P. purshii ). I am, of course, a stranger to the California branch of the Waterleaf Family, familiar only with Waterleaf Phacelia ( P. hydrophylloides), which blooms during the summer months up here, in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. As I am quickly learning, there are many spring-blooming species in California, including one of the most outrageously beautiful blue wildflowers I have ever seen, Baby Blue-eyes ( Nemophila menziesii).

Blooming in the foothills, Baby Blue-eyes are little puddles of blue sky with a bit of fluffy white cloud included.

Baby Blue-eyes is an annual and prefers sunny locations, contrary to the genus name, which means "woodland-loving". (Its species name refers to Archibald Menzies, an 18th century naturalist.) The flowers grow up to 1 1/2", and the 5 rounded petals overlap, creating a small bowl. They are bright blue with a white center. Several flowers are borne atop each stem, which is weak, often sprawling across neighboring plants. The five short anthers are tipped with purple to black pollen.

The stems of the plant grow to about 12" long. The leaves, up to 2" long, are deeply lobed, sparsely hairy, and grow in opposite pairs.

Baby Blue-eyes often grow in eye-catching patches, a mirror image of the sky above.

The other species of spring-blooming Waterleaf we recently discovered was Tansy Phacelia ( P. tanacetifolia), a plant reminiscent of Fiddleneck, but with pale blue-violet flowers (Fiddleneck, a member of the Forget-me-not Family, has orange to yellow flowers). Tansy Phacelia has long sprawling stems, and compound fernlike leaves. Each primary leaflet is further divided 1 or 2 more times, into small rounded lobes. It grows to 3' tall. Its genus name means "cluster", in reference to the cluster of flowers.

Tansy Phacelia can only be found in Southern California. We found it in the sun, along the road with a variety of other wildflowers.

Miami Mist (also known as Fringed Phacelia), a common spring wildflower back east, particularly in the Smoky Mountains, perhaps isn't as colorful as Baby Blue-eyes, but it is every bit as lovely. Similarly blue (to lavender and white), with a white center, its 5 petals are fringed, deserving appreciation through a magnifying glass. These fringed petals are what make it so special.

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