Blue Flax: A desert Gem

Posted by Robert Dailey May 10, 2006

There seems to be some controversy on the native origins of Linum lewisii, an extraordinary long-blooming plant whose small blue flowers waving above their delicate lacy stalks seem to float in the air.

Some sources say that the plant is native to California. But, since it was discovered and named by Meriwether Lewis (on the Lewis and Clark expedition), and since the expedition never visited California, I prefer to accept the broader origins which indicate it is native to higher elevations from Canada to Mexico, on both sides of the Continental Divide.

Blue flax is indeed a tiny workhorse in the desert garden. Every day it is covered with blue flowers (about an inch across) rising above the leaves of the plant. I have seen some blue flax towering a foot above the tops of the leaves, arching in the wind.

The plant is hardy, and will tolerate alkaline soils, although it prefers well-drained sandy soil. It will bloom from early spring to late summer.

I have been told that it does not transplant well, but I have had little problems moving this hardy little gem from one place in my garden to another. It's perennial, and will not only reflower year after year, its tiny beige seeds germinate well, so it will also reseed itself.

Blue flax is one of the flowers I use to tie my oasis, transitional and arid zones together, since it does well in any of those areas. So in each of my desert zones, I have blue flax flowers peeping from behind rocks, growing next to, in front of and behind other plants.