Phacelia
Phacelia is a cover crop in the Boraginaceae family. It grows best in full sun with dry moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-10. Plants reach maturity about 51–69 days after planting and sit about 3 inches apart.
Varieties
1 from High Mowing · sorted by days to maturity▸Phacelia51–69 days
Premium pollinator attractant; Interplant between row crops
Productive flowering cover crop with excellent pollinator attraction. Highly attractive to honeybees, native bees, and syrphid flies, whose larvae are voracious feeders on aphids and young caterpillars. Phacelia is widely adaptable and tolerates drought better than most but requires a dark, cool place for good germination, so bury seed at least ¼ inch deep. Often grown with buckwheat, which acts as a nurse crop for the slower germinating phacelia. Once established, the phacelia takes over the planting and flowers over a long season. Excellent for intercropping between cash crops to attract beneficial predators and pollinators. Seeding rate: 7-12 lbs/acre, 1/4 lb/1000 sq ft.
Growing notes: We have selected these easy-to-grow flower varieties for their individual beauty, for the beneficial insects they attract, and/or suitability for cut flower production. By offering an assortment of hues, heights, growth habits and appearances, we strive to fill your flower needs, whether you are adding color to your home garden or selling bouquets for market. Our varieties are tried-and-true standards that are sure to perform well in a wide range of growing conditions. Many of these varieties are well suited for succession plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. Days to maturity are from seeding. M=1,000.
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Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space phacelia about 3 in apart — that fits 16 plants in each 1-foot square (4×4). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your phacelia planting
Add phacelia to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
When to feed, prune & water
Attract beneficial insects and protect pollinators
Protection- Routine carePlant insectary flowers and tolerate light pestsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Grow a diversity of flowering plants (including small-flowered umbels and asters) to feed predators and parasitoids, and tolerate low pest numbers so natural enemies have prey to stick around.
- Routine careNever spray open bloomsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Avoid insecticides on flowering plants and apply any needed sprays in the evening when pollinators aren't active, and favor selective products over broad-spectrum ones to spare bees and beneficials.
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your phaceliaand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Powdery mildew
Diseasemoderate- CulturalImprove airflow + remove worst leavesstrong evidence — extension confidence
Cut out the most heavily coated leaves and thin for airflow; avoid wetting foliage late in the day.
- OrganicPotassium-bicarbonate or sulfur - label use only· every 1 wk · ~4 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Apply a labeled potassium-bicarbonate or sulfur fungicide weekly per the label. No sulfur within 2 weeks of oil or in high heat.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.