Collinsia bartsiifolia
White blue eyed mary
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Collinsia bartsiifolia (White blue eyed mary) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family.
White blue eyed mary is a California native annual herb found in northern California coastal ranges and central western California foothills, typically growing in mixed woodland and grassy habitats. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces white and blue flowers with distinctively colored upper and lower petals arranged in interrupted whorls. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it has a delicate, upright growth habit. Its leaves are relatively thick and oblong, measuring 1 to 4 centimeters long, with crenate edges and fine hairs, often slightly rolled under. The flower's upper lip is approximately half to two-thirds the length of the lower lip, with oblong upper lobes and delicate obovate lateral lobes.
How to tell it apart
vs Penstemon: Collinsia has stamens hidden in keeled lower lip; Penstemon has stamens visible with one sterile 'beard.'; vs Stachys: Collinsia has a keeled lower petal hiding stamens; Stachys has square stems and flowers in tight whorls.; vs Lupinus: Collinsia has snapdragon-like flowers; Lupinus has pea-family flowers with banner, wings, and keel.; vs Linaria: Collinsia has keeled lower lip hiding stamens; Linaria has spurred flowers with protruding stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Collinsia bartsiifolia native to California?
Yes. Collinsia bartsiifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Collinsia bartsiifolia belong to?
Collinsia bartsiifolia is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Collinsia bartsiifolia var. bartsiifolia — White blue eyed mary
- Collinsia bartsiifolia var. davidsonii — Davidson's blue eyed mary
- Collinsia bartsiifolia var. stricta — White blue eyed mary
- Collinsia callosa — Desert collinsia
- Collinsia childii — Child's blue eyed mary
- Collinsia concolor — Chinese houses
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.