Collinsia parryi

Parry's blue eyed mary

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Parry's blue eyed mary is a California native annual herb found in the Transverse Ranges, Santa Ana Mountains, San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains, and Mojave Desert at elevations of 500 to 1,600 meters in open chaparral, sagebrush scrub, and mixed woodland. Flowering from April to June, this delicate plant produces blue-violet to lavender flowers 4 to 10 millimeters long, occasionally with white variations. Growing with finely hairy stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it spreads in slender, branching formations. Its leaves are lance-shaped, ranging from entire to slightly scalloped, with upper leaves clasping the stem and becoming narrower toward the top of the plant. The small flowers cluster sparingly, with typically one to three pedicels at each node, creating a subtle and graceful appearance in its native habitat.

Habitat: Open chaparral, sagebrush scrub, mixed woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May(Jun)

Elevation: 500-1600 m

Bioregions: TR, PR (Santa Ana Mtns), SnJt/SnBr, DMoj/SnBr.

California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Monterey, Lake

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