[7] Its true native range is within the borders of California,[4][8][6] in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, but it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant and it can be found growing elsewhere as an introduced species.

[3] This annual herb has an erect stem reaching 0.7 metres (2.3 ft) in maximum height.

The flower has a bright blue corolla up to 4 centimeters long which can be bell-shaped, funnel-shaped, or round and flattened.

[9] It grows in dry, sandy places below 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

[9] The anthocyanin pigment phacelianin was isolated from the flowers of this species and is involved in the formation of their blue color.