By Nicole Matheson

It is about time again for the blooming of a distinctive native desert plant commonly referred to as scorpion weed. Named for the curved stem of the flowering annual that resembles a scorpion’s tail, scorpion weed should be regarded with caution but also respect.

RiverScene spoke with Arizona Master Gardener with the Mohave County Cooperative Extension, Nancy Sandy about scorpion weed and what its presence means for those living in Mohave County.

Sandy told RiverScene that as far as scorpion weed goes, “There are two species here that are native. The first one is the blue phacelia and then there is the notch leafed phacelia. One has purple flowers and one has blue flowers.”

“Scorpion weed is covered in little tiny hairs that can be an irritant to the skin,” Sandy said.

Although pretty to look at, Scorpion Weed can cause allergic reaction when touched. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Contact with the oil on these tiny hairs can cause dermatitis in some individuals, which can last several days.

In spite of this, Sandy explained that scorpion weed is not necessarily dangerous and actually can be beneficial to have around. “It’s not poisonous to eat, in fact Native Americans in several locations have used it as a vegetable.”

Though many may not want it around their yard if there are allergies, children or pets, they probably shouldn’t be near it as a precaution.

“You can easily get rid of it simply by cutting it down or pulling it out before it blooms and it doesn’t reseed,” Sandy said. “Be sure to use gloves if this is your goal.

“Scorpion weed is one of the most nectar rich native plants we have in Arizona,” Sandy informed RiverScene.

Lupine and Scorpion Weed at Crystal Beach. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“It particularly attracts the honey bees and a lot of the native bees. We have over 1,300 native bee species in Arizona and scorpion weed is an excellent source of nectar and pollen for all of them. It also attracts hover flies which are beneficial in that their larvae eat pest insects like aphids and thrips.”

Sandy went on. “It’s an excellent cover crop. It has a fibrous root system which can go 30 inches deep. It can be used as erosion prevention and its really good at breaking up clay soils.”

“Scorpion weed spreads by reseeding and it does reseed aggressively,” Sandy warned. “If you don’t want it reseeding you just cut the blossoms before they go to seed.”

Scorpion weed needs roughly 13 hours of sunlight to thrive, so it is coming up on that time frame and more of this beautiful and often misunderstood plant will be visible, growing around the Mohave Valley in the near future.