Collinsia grandiflora
Giant blue eyed mary
(c) cruzifer, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Collinsia grandiflora (Giant blue eyed mary) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by angular pouch and throat diagnostic.
Giant blue eyed mary is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and northern Coast Ranges of the Outer Coast in gravelly or grassy margins of conifer woodland at elevations of 400 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces blue flowers with a distinctive pale white upper lip, each bloom 8 to 15 millimeters long with a prominent angular pouch and wide obovate lobes that are 2 to 6 millimeters across. Growing 6 to 35 centimeters tall with delicate branching stems, it develops an open, glabrous to finely glandular inflorescence. Its leaves are narrowly oblong to lanceolate, nearly entire, and arranged along the slender stems. The plant produces four plump, unwinged oblong seeds that mature after flowering.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; angular pouch and throat diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly or grassy margins of conifer woodland
Elevation: 400-1600 m
California counties: Humboldt, Lake, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Napa, Sutter, Colusa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Plumas, Del Norte, Tulare, Lassen, Tehama, Amador, Butte
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Collinsia grandiflora blooms Apr-Jul.
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 grandiflora native to California?
Yes. Collinsia grandiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Collinsia grandiflora bloom?
Collinsia grandiflora blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Collinsia grandiflora grow?
Collinsia grandiflora occurs in Humboldt, Lake, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Napa, Sutter, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of 400-1600 m.
What plant family does Collinsia grandiflora belong to?
Collinsia grandiflora is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
What habitat does Collinsia grandiflora grow in?
Collinsia grandiflora grows in Gravelly or grassy margins of conifer woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.