Collinsia bartsiifolia var. stricta

White blue eyed mary

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

White blue eyed mary is a California native annual herb found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and central Sierra Nevada Mountains, particularly around Wawona, in chaparral, open oak woodland, and dry mixed woodland at elevations of 700 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate plant produces fleshy pink to lavender flowers with 8 to 12 millimeters long corollas, featuring an upper lip that covers half to two-thirds of the lower lip and occasional purple-tipped lobes with purple basal spots. Growing 12 to 35 centimeters tall with an upright and slender form, it has a delicate branching structure typical of annual wildflowers. Its leaves are arranged along the stems, creating a fine, structured appearance characteristic of the Collinsia genus. The flower's unique coloration and distinctive two-lipped corolla make this blue eyed mary a charming component of its woodland and chaparral habitats.

Habitat: Chaparral, open oak woodland, dry mixed woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 700-1300 m

Bioregions: SNF/SNH, c SNH (Wawona, likely extirpated).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.