Windpoppy is a genus of annual plant in the family Papaveraceae. It was formerly included in the monotypic genus, Stylomecon heterophylla, but it has been reclassified to the Papaver genus which includes a few other poppies native to California and north western Mexico. It's flowers are distinctly different from California Poppy. The petals of Windpoppy are more crinkly and bright red-orange with dark centers. In the wild it is found in foothill area of the Sierras and Coast Ranges from the Bay area to San Diego. It makes a nice oak understory planting.

Parnassia californica is a species of flowering plant in the small plant family Parnassiaceae known by the common name California Grass of Parnassus. It is native to the mountains of Oregon, California, and Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows and streambanks. It is a perennial herb producing an erect flowering stem from a patch of basal leaves. The leaf is up to 14 centimeters long with an oval or spoon-shaped blade at the end of a long petiole. The flower cluster may be nearly half a meter tall and consists of a mostly naked peduncle with one leaf midway up. The single flower has five small sepals behind five veined white petals each 1 to 2 centimeters long. At the center of the flower are five stamens and five staminodes with fringes of many hairlike, sphere-tipped lobes.

Pectocarya penicillata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names sleeping combseed, shortleaf combseed, winged combseed and northern pectocarya. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to Wyoming to Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas such as roadsides. This is an annual herb producing a slender, rough-haired stem, mostly decumbent in form, to a maximum length of about 25 centimeters. The small, pointed linear leaves are alternately arranged, widely spaced along the stem. The inflorescence is a series of flowers, each on a curved pedicel. The flower has small green sepals and tiny white petals. The fruit is an array of four nutlets each lined with comblike prickles.

Pectocarya setosa, known by the common names moth combseed and round-nut pectocarya, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. The plant is native to western North America, in Northwestern Mexico in Baja California and Sonora, and the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern United States. The plant is native to western North America, in Northwestern Mexico in Baja California and Sonora, and the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern United States. It grows in many types of habitats, including desert scrub, woodland, and grassland. It is found in the Mojave Desert, Great Basin, and Sonoran Desert. Pectocarya setosa is an annual herb producing a slender, rough-haired stem, generally upright to erect in form to a maximum height of about 23 centimeters. The small, pointed linear leaves alternately arranged along the upper stem, and oppositely along the lower part. The inflorescence is a series of flowers, each on a curved pedicel. The flower has small green sepals, which are lined with hairs and long bristles. The fruits are rounded or oval nutlets with membranous wings along the sides.

Pedicularis densiflora, known commonly as Warrior's Plume, is a plant of the lousewort genus in the broomrape family. It is a perennial herb with stout, green or sometimes reddish or magenta stems and fern-shaped leaves, and long spikes of deep red to bright pink flowers with toothed petals. Like others of its genus, it is a root parasite, attaching to the roots of other plants to obtain nutrients and water. This species is a facultative parasite, or hemiparasite, in that it can live without attaching to another plant but will parasitize if presented with the opportunity. It often parasitizes plants of the heath family, such as manzanita. Warrior's Plume is native to California and Oregon in western North America and is found in forests and woodlands at low elevation.

Pediomelum californicum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name California Indian breadroot. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodlands of the coastal mountain ranges. It is a perennial herb with no stem or a short stem that is mostly underground, leaving the plant at ground level. The compound leaves are each made up of five to seven oval leaflets which may be nearly 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a raceme of several blue or purple pealike flowers each about a centimeter long. The fruit is a hairy oval beak-tipped legume pod up to a centimeter long containing smooth kidney-shaped seeds.

Pellaea andromedifolia is a species of cliff brake fern known by the common name coffee fern. It is native to California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. This plant does not have the immediately recognizable sharply pointed leaflets on its fronds that many other ferns have. Its leaves bear rounded or oval-shaped segments widely spaced along the rachis. Each segment may curl under along its edges. The leaves are green when new, then turn red, purplish, or brown. Some individuals of this species are diploid and reproduce sexually, while some are triploid or tetraploid and reproduce by apogamy (growth of a plant from a gamete without fertilization).

Pellaea mucronata is a species in the Pteridaceae (Fern) family known by the common name Bird's Foot Cliffbrake. It is native to much of California, and parts of Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows in various types of rocky habitat. There are two recognized subspecies in California. Ssp. californica is limited to California, while ssp. mucronata can be found outside the state's borders. Each leaf is 7 to 45 centimeters long and is borne on a thin petiole. It is composed of a thin, straight, brown rachis lined with widely spaced leaflets. The leaflets are divided into small narrow terminal segments, or these may be subdivided into another set of segments. The smallest segment is up to about a centimeter long and is green to dark purplish in color. The edges may be rolled under. The sporangia are located under the edges. It is reportedly very heat and cold tolerant. This could be a useful fern in rock gardens in most parts of the state.

Penstemon azureus is a species of penstemon known by the common name azure penstemon. It is native to the mountains of Oregon and northern California, where it grows in coniferous forests and woodlands. It is a perennial herb, woody toward the base, with many thin branches reaching up to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear or lance-shaped, the ones higher on the plant clasping the stem. The flower cluster produces several hairless tubular flowers in shades of blue to lavender measuring up to 3.5 centimeters long.

Penstemon calcareus is a species of penstemon known by the common name limestone beardtongue. It is native to California, where it is known from the deserts of central San Bernardino County, as well as the Death Valley area, where its distribution extends just over the border into Nevada. It grows in scrub and woodland, often on limestone substrates. It is a perennial herb with erect branches up to about 25 centimeters in maximum height, grayish with a coating of fine hairs. The toothed, lance-shaped leaves are up to 6 centimeters long. The flower cluster produces bright pink to purplish tubular or funnel-shaped flowers between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The flower has a hairy outer surface and a staminode coated with yellow hairs.

Scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) is a striking perennial herb in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae), known for its bright red to orange-red tubular flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds. Native to California, it grows widely across northern, southern, and central regions.

This drought-adapted plant thrives in rocky, well-drained soils, making it a perfect addition to rock gardens, slopes, and pathways. It requires little supplemental water once established and blooms profusely in the spring. The upright, slender stems can reach over a meter in height, with thick, smooth leaves arranged in pairs along the stem.

Beyond hummingbirds, scarlet bugler also attracts bees and butterflies, contributing to a vibrant and pollinator-friendly garden. Its vivid flowers and minimal water needs make it an excellent choice for low-maintenance native plant landscapes.

Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon cinereus) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in northern California.

Penstemon deustus is a species of penstemon known by the common names hotrock penstemon and scabland beardtongue. It is native to much of the northwestern United States from the Pacific Northwest to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of forest and open plateau habitat, often on soils heavy in volcanic rock or on limestone outcrops. It is a perennial herb with upright branches approaching 40 centimeters in maximum height. The thick leaves are lance-shaped to oval or round, and are sharply toothed. Most leaves occur low on the plant. The flower cluster produces tubular flowers with lipped, five-lobed mouths. The hairy flower is cream in color with dark lining and reaches 1.5 centimeters in length. This plant is used in wilderness revegetation and landscaping projects in its native region. It is favored for its low water needs and its abundant flowers which attract pollinators, including honey bees, bumblebees, sweat bees, and leafcutter bees.

Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) is a striking perennial with bright red, tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Native to Southern and Central California, it thrives in desert mountains and the Mojave Desert at elevations of 4,900–9,200 feet.

This heat-loving, drought-tolerant plant is ideal for rock gardens, desert landscapes, and interior valleys. Its long, scarlet flower spikes add vibrant color while supporting pollinators in dry, sunny gardens.

Penstemon floridus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Panamint beardtongue. It is native to the lower mountain and plateau areas of eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows in canyons, arroyos, and sagebrush scrub. It is a perennial herb producing erect stems sometimes exceeding one meter tall. The thick leaves are lance-shaped to oval, usually toothed and somewhat wavy, and arranged in pairs with bases clasping the stem. The hairy flower cluster produces showy flowers up to 3 centimeters long and tubular in shape with a wide throat becoming narrowed at the lipped mouth. The flowers are bright pink with darker lining inside. There are two varieties of this species. Austin's beardtongue, var. austinii, is named for Stafford Wallace Austin, collector of plants and husband of writer Mary Hunter Austin.

Austin's Beardtongue (Penstemon floridus var. austinii) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in gravelly washes and canyon floors, at elevations from 3300-7900 feet.

Rose Penstemon (Penstemon floridus var. floridus) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central California, primarily in the White and Inyo Mountains and Sierra Nevada East regions. It tends to grow in gravelly washes and canyon floors, at elevations from 5200-7900 feet.

Penstemon fruticiformis is a species of penstemon known by the common name Death Valley beardtongue. It is native to the deserts and nearby mountains of eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows in rocky scrub and woodland habitat. It is known from scattered occurrences around Death Valley, and only one of the two varieties occurs on the Nevada side of the border. It is a perennial herb producing spreading, multibranched, hairless and waxy stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The thick leaves are generally lance-shaped, folded and rolled, and up to 6.5 centimeters in length. The flower cluster produces several white or pale pinkish-lavender flowers between 2 and 3 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower bears a stark, dark line on each of its three lower lobes, nectar guides for its pollinators which probably include native bumble bees.

Penstemon grinnellii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Grinnell's beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in several mountain ranges from those around the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra Nevada to the Peninsular Ranges near the Mexican border. It is a perennial herb producing upright stems growing to 85 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oblong, up to 9 centimeters in length, folded lengthwise and curved backward. The hairy flower cluster produces several tubular purple-tinged white or violet flowers 1 to 2 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower has three lower lobes streaked with dark lines, a hairy throat and a long-haired, protruding staminode.

Foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus) is a stunning perennial with profuse clusters of blue to magenta tubular flowers. Foothill penstemon can be found in all major coastal mountain ranges and the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. It occurs in many local habitat types from grassland to chaparral to forests.

Foothill penstemon is a wonderful addition to front of borders. Blooming begins in May and continues for a month or two. Taking off dead flower stalks will induce more flowering. The plant’s stems can exceed 3 feet and may become woody at the base. Several cultivars have been developed for use in summer-dry climate and other low-water-use gardens, including 'Electric Blue,' 'Margarita BOP,' and 'Blue Springs' which may grow only 12 to 18 inches tall. 

This is a fast-growing, easy and hardy flowering plant that requires moderate water and sun to light shade. It is adaptable to different types of soil so long as drainage is good.  

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Margarita BOP Penstemon is a low-growing, evergreen perennial prized for its long-lasting, vibrant blue-to-rose-purple flowers. Thought to be a hybrid of Penstemon heterophyllus and Penstemon laetus, its name comes from where it thrived with little care—“Bottom of the Porch.”

This adaptable plant flourishes in various garden settings, from borders to rock gardens and slopes. It is drought-adapted once established and benefits from cutting back spent flower spikes to encourage reblooming. A magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies, margarita BOP penstemon is an excellent choice for pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Low Beardtongue (Penstemon humilis) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Cascade Range and High Sierra Nevada regions. It tends to grow in open places, at elevations from 4900-9800 feet.

Low Beardtongue (Penstemon humilis var. humilis) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California.

Penstemon janishiae is a species of penstemon known by the common names Antelope Valley beardtongue and Janish's beardtongue. It is native to the northwestern United States in sections of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and northestern California, where it is a member of the flora in sagebrush, woodland, and pine forests. It is a perennial herb with several hairy upright stems reaching up to about 25 centimeters tall. The leaves are up to 6 centimeters long, many located around the base of the plant and several pairs along each stem. The flower cluster produces several wide-mouthed tubular flowers 2 to 3 centimeters long. Each hairy, hairy flower is pale purple to pinkish or bluish in color with a dark-lined, pouchlike throat. The mouth of the flower is hairy and the protruding staminode is coated in bright orange or yellow hairs.

Penstemon laetus is a species of penstemon in the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family known by the common names Gay Penstemon and Mountain Blue Penstemon. It is native to the inland mountains of Oregon and California, where its distribution extends from the Klamath Mountains through the Sierra Nevada to the Transverse Ranges. It is found at elevations from 750 ft. to over 8,000 ft. where grows in forest, scrub, and other mountain habitats. It is a perennial herb growing erect to about 75 centimeters tall, its base becoming woody. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped and up to 10 centimeters long. The hairy flower cluster bears blue or purple flowers up to 3.5 centimeters long. The wide-mouthed tubular or funnel-shaped flower is hairy on the outer surface and mostly hairless on the inside. There are two recognized varieties in California, all commonly known as Mountain Blue Penstemon.

Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) is a member of the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family, notable for its showy, rounded flowers. This plant grows erect and may reach two meters in maximum height but more often less. The leaves are generally oppositely arranged and have toothed margins. The flower cluster is a panicle or raceme with small leaves. The flower has a five-lobed calyx of sepals and a cylindrical corolla with may have an expanded throat. The flower is pink to blue-purple, and occasional specimens are red, yellow, or white. The staminode is partially hairy. There is one recognized variety, P. palmeri var. palmeri. Both are found in the arid mountains of Inyo and San Bernardino counties.

Hybrid of Penstemon palmeri and P. spectabilis. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri var. palmeri) is a native perennial herb that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the Desert Mountains and Mojave Desert regions. It tends to grow in washes and canyon floors, at elevations from 3600-7500 feet.

Penstemon patens is a species of penstemon known by the common name Lone Pine beardtongue. It is native to the central Sierra Nevada of California and slopes and plateau to the east, its distribution extending just into Nevada. It grows in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat types. It is a perennial herb producing hairless, waxy stems up to about 40 centimeters tall. The thick, lance-shaped leaves are up to 9 centimeters long and 2 wide. There are several surrounding the base of the plant and more pairs higher on the stem. The flower cluster bears wide-mouthed tubular flowers up to 2 centimeters long with corollas in shades of lavender to magenta. The flower is mostly hairless except for the staminode which may have a coat of orange or yellowish hairs.

Royal Penstemon is native to the western United States where it can be found in many types of habitat, including plateau and foothill scrub and sub-alpine mountain forests. It is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height near 60 centimeters. The leaves are usually lance-shaped and sometimes folded lengthwise, measuring up to 9 centimeters long. They are arranged oppositely and often clasp the stem at the bases. The showy flower cluster bears tubular flowers with expanded mouths, the largest reaching nearly 4 centimeters in length. The flowers come in many shades of light to deep blue, lavender, and purple, and usually have white throats.

Penstemon thompsoniae is a species of penstemon known by the common name Thompson's beardtongue. It is native to the southwestern United States where it grows in woodlands and other desert and plateau habitat, to the subalpine climate of local mountains. It is a mat-forming perennial herb, ashy gray-green with a thick coating of hairs, growing no more than 15 centimeters tall from a woody base. The oval or spoon-shaped leaves are up to 2 centimeters long. The short flower cluster bears wide-mouthed tubular purple flowers up to 2 centimeters in length. They are hairy on the outer surface and somewhat hairy on the inner, the staminode coated in long orange hairs. Of the two subspecies of this plant, only ssp. thompsoniae occurs throughout the species' range. Jaeger's beardtongue, ssp. jaegeri, is endemic to southern Nevada.

Penstemon thurberi is a species of penstemon known by the common name Thurber's beardtongue. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of desert and mountain habitat, including sandy flats, chaparral, scrub, and woodlands. It is a shrub growing erect and somewhat rounded in form, reaching around 80 centimeters in maximum height. Many slender stems emerge from its woody base. The leaves are narrow, linear in shape, with edges rolled upward nearly into a tube. The long flower cluster bears funnel-shaped lavender, pink, or pale blue-purple flowers up to 1.5 centimeters in length.

Pentachaeta aurea is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names golden-rayed pentachaeta, golden chaetopappa, and golden leastdaisy. It is native to southern California, where it grows in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains and the Peninsular Ranges, and northern Baja California. It is an annual herb with a hairy stem reaching a maximum height near 36 centimeters from a slender taproot. The narrow linear leaves are up to 5 centimeters long but only a few millimeters wide and may be very hairy. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head, with up to 22 heads per plant. The flower head bears many yellow, brownish, or whitish ray florets 3 to 12 millimeters long, and has a center of many five-lobed yellow to reddish disc florets. The fruit is an achene tipped with a pappus of bristles.

Pentachaeta exilis is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name meager pygmydaisy. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the North Coast Ranges to the southern Central Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a member of grassland and woodland plant communities. Pentachaeta exilis is an annual herb with a hairy stem no more than about 6 centimeters tall. The narrow linear leaves are up to 3 centimeters long but only about a millimeter wide. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head, with up to 23 heads per plant. The two subspecies of the plant have different types of heads. Most incidences of the plant are ssp. exilis, which has long reddish disc florets in its head but only rudimentary ray florets. The rare subspecies aeolica, which is known from just a few occurrences in the Central Coast Ranges, generally produces some white ray florets around a center of yellow disc florets. Pentachaeta exilis is an annual herb with a hairy stem no more than about 6 centimeters tall. The narrow linear leaves are up to 3 centimeters long but only about a millimeter wide. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head, with up to 23 heads per plant. The two subspecies of the plant have different types of heads. Most incidences of the plant are ssp. exilis, which has long reddish disc florets in its head but only rudimentary ray florets. The rare subspecies aeolica, which is known from just a few occurrences in the Central Coast Ranges, generally produces some white ray florets around a center of yellow disc florets.

Goldenback Fern (Pentagramma triangularis) is a common native fern that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the Desert Mountains and Modoc Plateau regions. It tends to grow in slopes and rocky places, at elevations from 0-7500 feet.

Peraphyllum is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the rose family containing the single species Peraphyllum ramosissimum, commonly known as wild crab apple. It is a shrub which may reach 3 meters in height and bears small pomes about a centimeter wide. Peraphyllum is most closely related to Amelanchier, Malacomeles, Crataegus, and Mespilus Squaw apple grows in California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico usually in pine and juniper woodlands. In California it can be found in the High Cascades, High Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin. Translated from the Greek, the genus Peraphyllum means "very leafy" and the species name ramosissimum means "many branches".

Pericome caudata is species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name mountain tail-leaf. It is native to the southwestern United States as far east as Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico, where it grows in rocky habitat, often in hills and mountains, and sometimes in disturbed areas. It is a large, branching, leafy perennial herb or subshrub approaching 2 meters in maximum height. It is glandular, resinous, sparsely hairy, and aromatic. The leaves are somewhat triangular, sometimes with a few large teeth or sharp lobes, the blade measuring up to 12 centimeters long and borne on a petiole. The leaf size and shape is variable across the species' range. The inflorescence is a cluster of many flower heads each under a centimeter wide and filled with golden yellow disc florets. The Navajo used this plant for a variety of medicinal and ceremonial purposes.

Perideridia bolanderi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Bolander's yampah. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb which may approach one meter in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from tubers measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into many subdivided lobes of various sizes and shapes; the terminal segments are usually lined with teeth. Leaves higher on the plant are smaller and less divided. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits about half a centimeter long. The Atsugewi and Miwok of California used the tuberous roots of this plant for food.

Perideridia californica is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name California yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Central Coast Ranges and a section of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in moist soils, often near streams. It is a perennial herb which may approach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from cylindrical tubers measuring up to 12 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 40 centimeters long which are divided into many flat, narrow, subdivided lobes. Leaves higher on the plant are smaller and less divided. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits under a centimeter long.

Perideridia kelloggii is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Kellogg's yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the north and central coasts, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in grassland habitat, sometimes on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb which may reach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from a cluster of long, narrow, fibrous roots each up to 15 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 45 centimeters wide which are divided into many leaflets subdivided into narrow, elongated lobes. The flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.

Swamp Knotweed (Polygonum amphibium) is a common native perennial herb in the Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) family that grows throughout California in almost every county. It is a wetland plant that is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in a rounded form to a height of 0.1 foot, with active growth during the summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in shallow lakes and streams, at elevations from 0-10000 feet.

Petalonyx nitidus is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name shinyleaf sandpaper plant. It is native to the deserts and desert mountains of the southwestern United States, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and other habitat. It is a clumpy subshrub made up of many rough-haired, erect or spreading stems growing 15 to 45 centimeters long. The leaves are oval, pointed, usually toothed or serrated, and up to 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence at the end of the stem is a crowded raceme of many flowers. The flower appears tubular, its white petals fused near the spreading tips but open lower, the long stamens extending well beyond the corolla, and unusual in that they emerge from outside the corolla.

Petradoria is a genus of North American subshrubs in the aster tribe within the daisy family. The only known species is Petradoria pumila, known by the common name rock goldenrod. It is native to the western United States (California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho). It is quite common in some regions, carpeting areas in yellow blooms.

Petrophyton caespitosum (orth. var. Petrophytum caespitosum) is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name mat rock spiraea. It is native to the western United States where it grows in mountainous areas from the Sierra Nevada to the Rocky Mountains. It grows among rocks in forested and woodland habitat. This is a very low matted shrub growing in carpets up to 80 centimeters wide, creeping over rocks. The plant often grows on vertical surfaces and hangs by its roots, which cling to cracks in rock. The stems are thick and very short, covered densely in rosettes of oval leaves. It produces many flower clusters which are spikelike clusters of flowers arising on erect peduncles up to 10 centimeters tall. Each flower cluster is packed with flowers, each with five tiny white petals, many whiskery stamens, and usually 5 hairy pistils. The flower parts dry and may fall away, leaving a cluster of developing fruits, follicles containing the seeds.

Phacelia affinis is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae, known by the common names limestone phacelia and purple-bell scorpionweed. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. It can be found in scrub, woodland, forest, and other habitat. It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near 30 centimeters, its stem branching or not. The leaves are oblong in shape and are generally either deeply lobed or divided into several lobed leaflets. In texture the plant is slightly hairy and glandular. The inflorescence is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of many bell-shaped flowers each just a few millimeters long. The flower is pale lavender or white with a yellowish tubular throat. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long containing up to 30 seeds.

Phacelia breweri is a species of phacelia known by the common name Brewer's phacelia. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountain ranges in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a member of the flora in chaparral, woodland, and other local habitat. It is a branching annual herb spreading or growing upright to a maximum height near 45 centimeters. It is glandular and coated in soft and coarse hairs. The lance-shaped or oval leaves are up to 4 centimeters long, the lower ones lobed. The hairy inflorescence is a crowded, one-sided, curving or coiling cyme of many bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is about half a centimeter wide and light blue in color.

Phacelia cicutaria (Caterpillar Phacelia or Caterpillar Scorpionweed) is an annual species in the Boraginaceae (Borage) family that is native to California, southern Nevada, and Baja California. It grows mainly in chaparral, frequently in burnt areas or on rocky slopes. Phacelia cicutaria is an upright annual shrub growing up to than 0.6 meter (2') high. Its foliage is deeply lobed, 2-15 centimeter. (1-6") long, with spiked segments. The flower buds are held in tight, hairy coils which uncoil as the flowers open one by one. The flowering stems' resemblance of caterpillars lends this plant its common name. Flowers appear Mar-May and are dirty-white to pale lavender in color.

It should be noted that there are a very large number of species in the genus Phacelia. Most are annuals. Gardeners should look for species appropriate to their area and garden conditions.

Caterpillar Phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida) is a native annual herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in gravelly or rocky slopes, at elevations from 0-4600 feet.

Phacelia ciliata is a species of phacelia known by the common name Great Valley phacelia. It is native to California, where it can be found in many of the coastal mountain ranges, the Central Valley, and the Sierra Nevada foothills; its distribution extends into Baja California. It grows in grassland and low mountain slopes. It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near half a meter. The branching or unbranched stem is hairy and lightly hairy. The oblong or oval leaves are up to 15 centimeters long, the larger ones divided into lobed or toothed leaflets. The flower cluster is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of many flowers. Each funnel- or bell-shaped flower has deeply veined, hair-lined sepals and a blue corolla with a pale throat.