Flax, Blue

Blue Flax
Linum perenne lewisii
Also known as 'Prairie Flax' and 'Lewis Flax', 'Blue Flax' is a native wildflower of western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River. It was originally collected and catalogued along the Sun River in Montana on July 9,1806 by Lewis and Clark's "Corps of Discovery" expedition. By 1815, it was widely cultivated and was commercially available to growers and gardeners through Bernard McMahon's seed catalog.

Sow in May through July to be rewarded with beautiful small sky-blue flowers the following spring. It grows from twelve to thirty-six inches in height. Perennial. USDA zones 5-8. Each packet contains 0.25 gram, which is approximately 160 seeds.

[See also 'Scarlet Flax']