Collinsia concolor
Chinese houses
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Collinsia concolor (Chinese houses) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by southern range and uniform flower color diagnostic.
Chinese houses is a California native annual found in southern California coastal regions and Peninsular Ranges in Riverside County, inhabiting openings and margins of chaparral, oak, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 300 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces beautiful blue to blue-purple flowers with delicate white and purple-dotted upper lips and distinctive whorled clusters. Growing with slender stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops thin leaves ranging from narrowly oblong to widely lanceolate. Its leaves are nearly smooth, with entire to slightly toothed edges, creating a delicate appearance in woodland margins. The flowers feature an intricate structure with upper and lateral lobes that are notched, and lateral lobes that are obovate and generally sparsely hairy.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; southern range and uniform flower color diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings and margins of chaparral, oak and pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 300-1700 m
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Mariposa
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Collinsia concolor blooms Apr-Jun.
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 concolor native to California?
Yes. Collinsia concolor is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Collinsia concolor bloom?
Collinsia concolor blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Collinsia concolor grow?
Collinsia concolor occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yolo, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of 300-1700 m.
What plant family does Collinsia concolor belong to?
Collinsia concolor is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
What habitat does Collinsia concolor grow in?
Collinsia concolor grows in Openings and margins of chaparral, oak and pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Collinsia corymbosa — Round-headed chinese-houses
- Collinsia grandiflora — Giant blue eyed mary
- Collinsia greenei — Greene's blue eyed mary
- Collinsia heterophylla — Purple chinese houses
- Collinsia heterophylla var. austromontana — Downy chinese-houses
- Collinsia heterophylla var. heterophylla — 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.