Sun Exposure: Sun - Part Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry, Dry
Soil Type: Sand, Loam, Clay, Gravely, does well in nutrient poor soil
Height: 1 - 1.5 feet
Spread: 1 - 2 feet
Blooms: July, August, September
Root: Fibrous, Taproot
Habitat: Upland Prairies, Savannas, Cliff Crevices, Rocky Roadsides
Landscape uses: Pollinator gardens, Drought Tolerant, Border plantings, Along walkways, Rock Garden
Complimentary Plants: Butterfly Milkweed, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Purple Prairie Clover
Wildlife Value: Small bees visit the flower for nectar and pollen. Bird eat the seeds.
Seed Origin: Coldwater, ON (Wildflower Farm seed supplier)
Germination Code: A
Photo credits: Sundaura Alford-Purvis
Linum lewisii - Wild Blue Flax
Blue flax is a clump-forming perennial with wiry, grass-like leaves and stunning violet-blue flowers that bloom in the summer. Each stem produces several flowers, blooming from the bottom upward. Growing to 1.5 ft , Blue flax is a very drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plant that thrives in poor soils. While its stems appear to be slender and fragile, they are actually rather fibrous and tough; their fibers were used for various purposes by Indegenous people, and the seeds are edible (and very nutritious) once cooked!