Collinsia heterophylla var. austromontana

Downy chinese-houses, Downy Chinese-Houses

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Downy chinese-houses is a California native annual found in the Santa Ana Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in shady places within chaparral and mixed woodland at elevations of 300 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces delicate lavender and white flowers with an upper lip smaller than the lower lip, creating a distinctive two-lipped appearance. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms an elegant and airy presence in its woodland habitat. Its leaves are sparsely hairy on the undersides, giving the plant a soft, textured appearance with varying leaf shapes along the stem. The flowers, measuring 10 to 15 millimeters long, create charming clusters that attract pollinators in the dappled light of its woodland home.

Habitat: Shady places in chaparral, mixed woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 300-1700 m

Bioregions: SnGb, SnBr, PR (Santa Ana Mtns).

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