I love my curls.
Tiny blue flowers open from the curl.
I also love my caterpillars.
Blue curls, or Caterpillars, Phacelia congesta, are charming spring garden additions here in Texas and neighbors, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Native to this region, Blue curls are wildflowers worth having. A low-growing, deer resistant herb, this springtime bloomer has performed as an annual in my garden. The ‘curls’ part of the name is because as the diminutive flowers develop and open, they unfurl from a coiled position. As well, the row of unopened buds evoke the curled position of caterpillars, thus the second of the common names.
Blue curl “caterpillars” flank the open flowers.
I prefer blue curls, but both names are descriptive; it’s an aptly named plant!
I’ve experienced problems with germination–sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t–but on the handful of occasions when the plant successfully seeds out and blossoms to blooming, Blue curls haven’t disappointed. Two years ago during the latter part of winter, I noticed a “weed” growing in a pot in the back garden.
I don’t yank until I’m sure an unknown is an unwanted, so I watched. During the time that I watched and waited, a friend extolled the virtues of the Blue curls she grows in her garden, kindly offering to me some of her seedlings. An enthusiastic “yes” was my answer to her offer, and what she gave me was exactly the thing that was growing in the pot.
Blue curls, all around!
I planted the two gifted curls near the bird or wind planted volunteer, and the three individual plants thrived and bloomed in spring.
Caterpillar stage.
Blooming stage!
Such darling flowers: unusual construction (“Compound Cyme” according the the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center), and truly gorgeous in color and form.
I adore blue flowers. I can only imagine what Blue curls look like, en masse, in a Texas Hill Country field. For several years, during April and May, I’ve enjoyed viewing a small cluster of these blue beauties growing alongside a bike path that I regularly ride. City mowers and street construction hasn’t yet destroyed the wildflowers along that particular street.
I also like the foliage of this wildflower; I’m a sucker for deeply lobed, bright green leaves.
Pre-blossom foliage. The leaves look like those of a tomato plant.
The leaves become a bit tatty toward the end of their days.
Post-blossom foliage.
Two years ago, I dutifully allowed the plants to seed out, then sprinkled the seeds and chaff in various parts of my garden. The next winter and spring, no Blue Curl seedlings appeared in my garden. Drat–no gorgeous Blue curl wave. Nada, zilch, nothin’.
I whined to my friend, who graciously supplied me with more seeds. I spread some (not all) of the seeds out last autumn, and voila!, this spring a grand total of four plants germinated. One disappeared–subjected, no doubt, to someone’s late night munchies; another, I stepped on and crushed–yes, sometimes I am that careless. But two survived; I transplanted both to better spots, and they grew to blooming beauty! Unfortunately, the peak of flowering occurred during the first half of May when I was traveling, though I did get some enjoyment from these pretties as the first dainty blues opened shortly before I left.
In my absence, the pollinators spent a few weeks sipping from Blue curl goodness. A good pollinator plant, I’ve observed tiny native bees feeding, though the literature suggests that Blue curls attract butterflies, too.
My two Blue curl individuals are now wrapping up their life activities and I will leave them to their own seed dispersal.
I have seeds from my friend and plan to add more to the garden next autumn for spring 2019. I’d love to have a greater number of these sweet little spring wildflowers as they are care-free once germinated, (unless stepped on–ahem), and they fit in a variety of light situations, though probably not deep shade.
But the Blue curls will do whatever they choose to do–and I’ll enjoy what they’re willing to give the garden, and the gardener.
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My Gardener Says... 