Phacelia crenulata, commonly known as notch-leaf scorpion-weed, notch-leaved phacelia, cleftleaf wildheliotrope, and heliotrope phacelia, is an aromatic annual herb native to desert washes, rocky slopes, and open woodlands in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico . Its range includes Colorado, New Mexico, Baja California, Sonora, southern Peru, western Bolivia, and northern Chile. It typically grows up to 31 inches tall and is covered in stiff, glandular hairs that can cause contact dermatitis. The leaves are 1 to 5 inches long, with the largest at the base of the stem. The inflorescence is a coiled cyme of bell-shaped purple or blue flowers with white tubes, blooming in spring and early summer. The fruit is a rounded capsule.

Notch-leaf scorpion-weed is valued for its showy flowers and ability to attract pollinators, making it a suitable choice for wildflower gardens, xeriscaping, and restoration projects. It thrives in well-drained soils, tolerates drought, and prefers full sun to partial shade. While it is not typically used in formal garden settings, its unique appearance and pollinator benefits make it an interesting plant for naturalistic plantings. Gardeners should handle this plant with care due to its potential to cause skin irritation.CC BY-SA 4.0