Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)
A.K.A.: Lewis Flax, Prairie Flax, Western Blue Flax
Habitat: Open spaces over a wide range of elevations, from Hite Cove and other foothill locations to 9,000 feet or so. It's also a common garden plant.
Flowering Season: They can start blooming in late April, and though I haven't seen it, reportedly bloom as late as September at higher elevations.
Size: Clusters of narrow stems up to 30 inches tall, with flowers 1 - 2 inches across.
Lifespan: Perennial
Origins: Native (see distribution maps for California and US/Canada)
Linum lewisii etymology: Linum is the Latin word for flax. Lewisii honors Meriwether Lewis of Lewis & Clark fame; their expedition collected a specimen, according to PlantSystematics.org, in Montana in 1806.
This Photo: Near highway 49 between Oakhurst and Ahwahnee, mid May
Other Resources: CalFlora · CalPhotos · USDA
