It grows in many types of local habitat, such as coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and open, recently burned slopes.

Phacelia parryi is an annual herb growing a mostly erect stem 10 to 70 centimeters long.

The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long with toothed oval blades borne on petioles.

The inflorescence is a cyme of widely bell-shaped flowers each 1 to 2 centimeters long.

The five protruding stamens are hairy and tipped with white anthers.