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There Facelia it is a herbaceous plant cultivated to fertilize the soil, to fight weeds, for the production of honey and also as an ornamental plant for its large and beautiful flowers.
Characteristics Facelia – Phacelia tanacetifolia
There Facelia, scientific name Phacelia tanacetifolia, is an annual plant of the family of Hydrophyllaceae (Boraginaceae) native to America widespread mainly in northern Mexico, California, in the temperate zones of the globe, in Europe and also in Italy except in the southern regions and in Sicily.
The Facelia has a robust and deep root system that generates numerous erect stems about 1 meter high.
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THE drums they are cylindrical, hollow, of an intense green color and covered for their entire length by a dense and short whitish down. Some hairs are bristly others, as in nettle, are glandular.
The leaves, similar to those of Tansy, they are alternate, pinnate and deeply divided into lanceolate, lobed or toothed segments. The petiole of the leaves is short and slightly swollen at the base. The leaves covering the tips of the stems are smaller than the basal ones. The leaves are also hairy.
THE flowers of the Facelia tanacetifolia, gathered in large and decorative spiralized globose inflorescences, are of a blue-violet color. The corolla of the flowers is composed of five petals that surround five long stamens always of blue – violet color. The flowers of the Facelia for their beauty and persistence are also used as cut flowers.
For the production of high quality pollen and nectar i Facelia flowers they are a real source of attraction and nourishment for pollinating insects, especially bees that produce one of the most requested and appreciated honeys in the world for its organoleptic characteristics.
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THE fruits they are very small seeds with a high germination capacity, in fact as soon as they fall to the ground they generate new plants for self-sowing.
Flowering
The Facelia produces copious flowering starting from June.
Cultivation of Facelia
Exposure
Facelia is a hardy plant that loves bright, sunny places for many hours a day. It resists the cold only in the early stages of development, while the more developed plants are sensitive to winter frost. In winter the plant dries up and dies.
Ground
It grows and develops in all types of soil even if it prefers well-worked and well-drained ones.
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Watering
It is a plant that is satisfied with rainwater but in periods of prolonged drought it should be regularly irrigated.
Fertilization
The Facelia does not need to be fertilized as it exploits the nutrients present in the soil indeed at the end of its vegetative cycle it will make it more fertile.
Facelia multiplication
Facelia reproduces by seed. In the southern regions, characterized by a mild climate, sowing can also be carried out at the end of February, while in those of northern and central Italy, it is necessary to wait for spring as the ideal temperature required for germination must not be below 13. ° – 18 ° C.
Sowing of the Facelia
Sowing is generally practiced by broadcasting and directly planted in a soft and well-worked soil. The seeds, about 10 kg per hectare, must be buried at a depth of about 5 cm.
Phacelia tanacetifolia seeds germinate only in the dark, in fact it has been shown that light has an inhibitory effect on germination.
After germination, the new Facelia plants must be thinned out to about 20 cm from each other.
When the plants have reached an adequate development, about 50 days from sowing, they will produce flowers in abundance for about 2 months.
Facelia collection
The Facelia is harvested from May to October by trimming the plants and burying them, by plowing, at a depth of 20-25 cm.
The green mass, once buried, contributes to the formation of humus, improving the fertility of the soil.
Facelia parasites and diseases
It is a rustic plant that does not fear attacks from animal parasites. Sometimes, however, the stems and leaves of Facelia appear blackish due to fumaggine, a disease of fungal origin that arises as a consequence of infestations by the cochineal.
Cures and treatments
Facelia does not require special care; only infected plants are uprooted to avoid spreading to neighboring ones. The usual treatments based on sulfur and mineral oil in case of cochineal attack are not recommended in order not to damage the pollinating insects and the quality of the honey produced by them.
Use Facelia
Facelia is used as an alternative to legumes as a green manure plant to fertilize the soil during the vegetative rest of the soil as it enriches it with nitrogen (N) and improves its structure.
It is also used natural herbicide against weeds as it releases particular chemicals capable of inhibiting their growth.
In organic farming it is used in vegetable gardens and orchards to attract phytophagous insects such as hoverflies, harmless to crops and useful insects but very active against the aphids they feed on.
Facelia is also used as a forage herb and mowing is usually carried out at the end of flowering when the dried flowers release the seeds which, by germinating, ensure the next harvest. 
Facelia is also and above all appreciated as a melliferous plant which, due to its prolonged flowering and the abundance of pollen and nectar, allows bees to find nourishment even in summer, a period in which most of the other plants have already withered. .
Furthermore, the plant is an excellent forage for cattle and horses.
It is good to point out that Phacelia tanacetifolia should be cultivated far from agricultural fields as it also attracts other types of polyphagous insects such as the miner fly and cetonia which cause damage to the roots, stems and flowers.
Meaning of the Facelia – Phacelia tanacetifolia
The name of the Phacelia comes from the Greek ‘phákelos’, which means bundle or bunch, referring to the arrangement of the flowers on the stems.
The epithet tanacetifolia from the Latin ‘tanacetifolius’, refers to the leaves which as stated are similar to those of the genus Tanacetum.
Curiosity and language of flowers
Facelia is also cultivated as an ornamental plant for the production of cut flowers.
In the places of origin, the Facelia, due to the color of the flowers and their persistence, is a symbol of harmony, loyalty and courage.
George
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