Collinsia heterophylla
Purple chinese houses
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Collinsia heterophylla (Purple chinese houses) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by 32 congeners; prominent nearly square pouch + throat strongly angled to tube; tiered whorls, white/lavender upper lip vs wine-purple….
Purple chinese houses is a California native annual found in various bioregions in grasslands, woodland edges, and open areas at elevations up to 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces distinctive white and lavender to rose-purple flowers with striking wine-spotted upper lips tipped in dark violet and lower lips with darker red-tipped lower lobes. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with branching stems, it develops lance-shaped leaves that are often deeply lobed in young plants. Its leaves are toothed and variable in shape, ranging from lance-like to deltate, with some leaves showing deep lobing in seedling stages. The flower's unique coloration features a prominent pouch-like corolla throat, with upper filaments that are noticeably hairy.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 congeners; prominent nearly square pouch + throat strongly angled to tube; tiered whorls, white/lavender upper lip vs wine-purple lower lip
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Amador, Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Napa, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Lake, Monterey, San Diego, San Mateo, Fresno, Alameda, Ventura, Mendocino, Marin, Madera, San Benito, Solano, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Butte, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Sonoma, Humboldt, Calaveras, Placer, Sutter, El Dorado, Colusa, Merced, Yuba, Tehama, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Yolo
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 heterophylla native to California?
Yes. Collinsia heterophylla is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Collinsia heterophylla grow?
Collinsia heterophylla occurs in Los Angeles, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Amador, Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside and other counties.
What plant family does Collinsia heterophylla belong to?
Collinsia heterophylla is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
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.