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Linum lewisii
Plant species in the flax family From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America.
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Description
It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄4 in) long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with five petals 1–1.5 cm long and in varying length styles.[3][4][5][6] The flowers open in the morning and fade, dropping their petals by noon on hot, sunny days.[7]
The inflorescence is a terminal open raceme.[5]
A lavender flower
The spirally arranged lanceolate leaves
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Etymology
The species was named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis.[8]
Distribution and habitat
The plant is native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River.[9] It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea level in the north up to 11,000 feet (3,400 metres) in the Sierra Nevada.[10][11][3]
Cultivation
Blue flax is a durable wildflower in garden conditions, never becoming overly aggressive towards other plants. Plants are easily grown from seed.[7] Blue flax grows well in lean soils without much organic matter and are healthier in well-drained soils.[12]
References
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