Purple tansy (Phacelia tanacetifolia) is often grown as a green manure or cover crop, but its slightly strange, long-lasting blooms make excellent cut flowers. They’re also one of the best food sources for bees, as well as other beneficial insects. The striking flowers reach anywhere between 50cm and 150cm high and bloom in spring and summer for several weeks.
Phacelia is a fast-growing annual, flowering 6-8 weeks after germination. It likes full sun and free-draining soil. In fact, phacelia grows well in dry soil. I’ve sown the seeds and forgotten about them and they’ve still flowered, a few weeks later, in their very shallow seed tray (perhaps a little stunted).
To get around that, sow seeds directly after the last frosts.
Image credits: The middle image is from here. Bottom image: planted as a cover crop – find more info here.
Hi Jane,
I love your articles and love the look of this plant (purple tansy). We are about to plant a cottage garden at the front of our white picket fenced villa in Whangarei. The soil isn’t in very good condition so landscapers are coming in to dig the lawn up and feed it before we can make a start, thanks for the information.
That sounds lovely, Faye. I have a cottage with a picket fence out front too! 🙂
Wonderfull colors , i will try
Great! Let us know how it goes.
Who puts out the seeds for the Purple Tansy. I have looked through Yates and MacGregor seeds but don’t see it (also looked under Phacelia). I live in Paraparaumu so have been to Mitre 10 and Palmers (in Plimmerton) but with no luck.
Thanks in anticipation
Bev
Hi Bev
Kings Seeds has them (click here), as does Egmont Seeds (click here). Both of these you can buy online. 🙂
Jane
Thank you Jane – I just love your website and follow each month what I should plant.
Bev
Thanks Bev! 🙂
I love your blogs. This plant look very nice. Thanks for for creating post that shares valuable information about species of plants. The images also are great. especially the second Image. They look like violet snails. Looking forward for your next post.