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Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America.
It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄4 in) long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with five petals 1–1.5 cm long and in varying length styles.[3][4][5][6] The flowers open in the morning and fade, dropping their petals by noon on hot, sunny days.[7]
Bloom Season: March - September
Habitat: subalpine meadows, prairies, dry ridges, roadsides, and openings in coniferous or aspen forests
Photography Notes: Susceptible to a breeze
Credits: Jason Fazio, 11 July
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Blue Flax (native) is one of many wildflowers featured in the El Paso CO Wildflower Project, a community-built field guide documenting the wildflowers of El Paso County, Colorado.
