Bloomipedia
Purple phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida)
Photo: Ben Gruhot via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Purple phacelia

Phacelia bipinnatifida

Purple phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Purple phacelia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

18states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
6,486U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kentucky, Tennessee

Quick look

Phacelia bipinnatifida, commonly known as purple phacelia, fernleaf phacelia and spotted phacelia is a species of phacelia native to the southeastern United States.

  • It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 18 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Tennessee and Kentucky. NatureServe
  • In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Kentucky, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,150 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #46 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 836 research-grade sightings of it in Kentucky, ranking #72 among the 178 flowers on our Kentucky list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (625 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TennesseeNativeMarch–May2,150
KentuckyNativeApril836

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MS (S1), NJ (S1), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records purple phacelia in 18 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bedford, Blount, Cannon, Carter, Cheatham, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson.

Kentucky counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Bell, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Breathitt, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carlisle, Clark, Clay, Crittenden, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Garrard, Harlan, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Jefferson, Jessamine, Knott, Knox, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Livingston, Lyon, Madison, Mason, McCreary, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Oldham, Perry, Pike, Powell, Union, Warren, Whitley, Woodford.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Phacelia brevistyla.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 244 counties across 16 states; the most are in Tennessee (58), Kentucky (48), Indiana (43).

Other Phacelia on Bloomipedia (8): Distant phacelia, Notch-leaf scorpionweed, Blue curls, Silky phacelia, Miami mist, Frémont's phacelia, Linearleaf phacelia, Gypsum phacelia.

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Virginia waterleaf, Pacific hound's tongue, Alkali heliotrope, Virginia stickseed, Wild comfrey, Menzies' baby blue eyes, California yerba santa.

More Tennessee flowers

Wild comfrey (Andersonglossum virginianum)

Wild comfrey

Andersonglossum virginianum

🌼 Blooms in TN: April–May
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Virginia bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Native

🌼 Blooms in TN: March–April
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in TN: June–September

Sources