Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Bettinger, Edith

Linum lewisii var. lewisii

Linum lewisii Pursh var. lewisii

Prairie Flax, Blue Flax

Linaceae (Flax Family)

Synonym(s): Adenolinum lewisii, Linum perenne ssp. lewisii, Linum perenne var. lewisii

USDA Symbol: LILEL2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

A 1 ft. perennial, Blue Flax can reach 2 1/2 ft. in height. The tufted plant, with slender, leafy stems, bears loose, much-branched clusters of large, delicate, sky-blue flowers which bloom all summer. The flowers, funnel-shaped when they open in the morning, flatten as the day progresses and are dropped the following day leaving a spherical, green seed capsule.

This drought tolerant wildflower is often a component of wildflower mixes. It is a short-lived perennial that provides color for at least two years. It often self-sows.

From the Image Gallery

1 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.
Flower: Flower 1 inch

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AK , AR , AZ , CA , CO , ID , KS , LA , MI , MN , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OK , OR , SD , TX , UT , WA , WV , WY
Canada: SK
Native Distribution: AK to CA, e. to ND, w. KS, w. TX & Mex.
Native Habitat: Prairies; open, rocky woods; mesas; dry hillsides; coniferous forests; meadows

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Sandy or rocky soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Limestone-based, Caliche type
Conditions Comments: This drought tolerant wildflower is often a component of wildflower mixes. It is a short-lived perennial that provides color for at least two years. It often self-sows.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Showy, Color, Blooms ornamental, Wildflower meadow, Pocket prairie
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: This species usually propagated by seed as root divisions are generally not successful. Plant seeds in desired location in fall.
Seed Treatment: None required.
Commercially Avail: yes

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Linum lewisii var. lewisii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Linum lewisii var. lewisii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Linum lewisii var. lewisii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-16
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back