• Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

    Bryce Canyon

    National Park Utah

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • U.S. Highway 89 Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon

    Road damage south of Page, Arizona will impact travel between Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon National Parks. Click for a travel advisory and link to a map with suggested alternate routes: More »

Blue Flax

Common Name: Blue Flax
Scientific Name: Linum lewisii
Size (height) English & Metric: 6-31" (15-80cm)
Habitat: Well drained prairies, meadows and the breaks.
Flowering Season (for Bryce region): April - August
Range: Throughout the western United States and Mexico.

 
The flowers of Blue Flax are extremely fragile.

The flowers of Blue Flax are extremely fragile.

lee dittmann

General Description:
The plant has few to many white to deep blue flowers with five petals each. The leaves are arranged in an alternating pattern and are very narrow and very short. Communities consist of separate small clumps of plants. This is a member of the flax family.

Plant Lore:
Native Americans consumed the seeds for their flavor and nutrients. A tea made from the stems and leaves was used to treat various medical problems such as eye infections, stomach disorders, and swellings. Livestock exhibits a state of drowsiness when feeding on Blue Flax. Blue Flax was used by many American Indian groups in making strong rope. Today a cultivated flax is still grown for its "linen" fiber and "linseed oil".

 

When and where to see at Bryce:
Most trails, and in open fields and among short shrubs throughout the spring and midsummer.

Further Reading:
Buchanan, Hayle 1992. Wildflowers of Southwestern Utah. Bryce Canyon Natural History Association. Bryce Canyon, Utah.

Craighead, Craighead and Davis, Peterson Field Guide, Rocky Mountain Wildflowers.

Fagan, Damian. 1998. Canyon Country Wildflowers. Falcon Press. Helena, Montana.

Did You Know?

Hoodoos stand as sentinels with their magic

The geologic term, hoodoo, lives on at Bryce Canyon National Park as perpetuated by early geologists who thought the rock formations could cast a spell on you with their magical spires and towering arches. More...