ID this curly flower please

[Tuffykins]

Found planted in a 3/4 metre wide strip round a farmers field, is it a wild flower?

[pammosley]

Hi, I think it may be Scorpion Weed, I had it I`ded a few weeks ago on here, but wait for an expert I looked it up on the net & it says it is planted to attract insects to aid pollenation. It`s lovely isn`t it.

[pammosley]

This was my pick, is it the same

[Tuffykins]

You are spot on, it makes sense being planted in a field margin, what a beautiful hover fly attractant. Thankyou for the id.

[Dorts]

Both Tuffykins and pammosley's plants are Phacelia - Phacelia tanacetifolia. It has a number of common names but is now referred to simply as Phacelia.
Dorts.

[pammosley]

Thanks Dorts, I was told the Latin name in my post, when I looked on the net I found refered to as Scorpion Weed & that stuck in my head (simple me )

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by pammosley

Thanks Dorts, I was told the Latin name in my post, when I looked on the net I found refered to as Scorpion Weed & that stuck in my head (simple me )

If you 'google' Scorpion Weed, Phacelia comes-up, so it is a commonly used name, no problem with that other than it 'comes-up' with a number of other names also.

Phacelia, a non-native, has not been in Britain for a very long time, but when it came to our shores it brought with it a number of different common names. So it was thought that an acceptable and definitive English name was required, and Phacelia was the one chosen by the 'powers that be'.
Dorts.