Lewis Blue Flax

Linum lewisii

Blue and Lewis flax are noted to have fair forage value for livestock and wildlife during spring and winter. Plants stay green throughout the growing season providing some forage value. Birds use the seed and capsules in fall and winter. All species provide diversity to the seeded plant community.
Lewis Blue Flax is useful in mixes for erosion control and beautification value. The six week flowering period and showy blue flowers make seedings more aesthetically pleasing and increase plant biodiversity. Due to the semi-evergreen nature of the species, flax can also be used as a fire suppressant species in greenstrip plantings. Lewis Blue Flax has fair forage value for livestock and wildlife. Linseed Oil is a byproduct of Blue Flax , but is not for human consumption as ingestion causes diffulty breathing, paralysis and convulsions.

Flax is considered desirable forage for deer, antelope, and birds, either as forage or seed. If in a thick stand, small wildlife cover is provided.

Lewis Blue Flax is an annual or short-lived, semi-evergreen perennial forb, species are mucilaginous when wet.


Lewis flax can be found from Alaska to California and east to Minnesota in mixed grass, sagebrush, shadscale, piñon-juniper, mountain brush and aspen communities and in openings in coniferous forests. Blue flax is native to Eurasia and has been planted successfully throughout the United States.