Linum lewisii / Blue Flax / Linaceae

While these grow plentifully in our home garden and farm, there is nothing quite like seeing these in the wild.

An ethereal perennial, they rise 5-80cm along a glabrous stem. Their inconspicuous linear to lanceolate leaves give them an unassuming, if not unkept initial appearance. However, once their gorgeous flowers appear, it’s an entirely different presentation.  

Their delicate and beautiful pale-blue hue stands out from adjacent wildflowers and is easily recognizable from a distance after you first come to meet them. Despite their sturdy stature (at least when compared to the rest of the plant), the petals themselves are easily knocked to the soil with so much as a light whisper in their direction; curbing the temptation to solicit their use in a floral arrangement.

Their fruits are around 5-6mm wide and dehiscent in segments of 10. Each segment contains 1-few dark brown to black seeds.

It is these seeds which are primarily utilized by the two-legged creatures known as humans. They are both nutritious and deliciously nutty when cooked. They also have an extremely high oil content and is utilized in many “health food” applications. However, the raw seeds contain cyanide which is must be (mildly) heated to break down this toxic compound. All’s to say, do not eat raw! Additional human uses are natural fibers and the common linseed oil, which is used as a wood finish.