Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida
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Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by large tricolored flowers and pine forest habitat.
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida is a California native annual found in the Tehachapi Mountains and southern Great Basin in rocky or sandy pine forest habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces flowers with a distinctive purple tube and yellow-to-deep-violet throat approximately 9 to 14 millimeters long. Growing low and spreading with dark gray-green stems, it forms a delicate mat-like structure across rocky terrain. Its leaves are densely woolly-hairy and intricately divided into fine, linear lobes, creating a soft, tufted appearance across the plant's structure. The fruit is small and spherical, measuring 2.5 to 3.7 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; key features are large tricolored flowers and pine forest habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Rocky or sandy soil, pine forest
Elevation: 1500-2700 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles
Bloom period
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Saltugilia: Gilia has white cobwebby or sharply bent hairs; Saltugilia has translucent, barely glandular hairs.; vs Navarretia: Gilia has cobwebby/bent hairs; Navarretia has very short uniform glandular hairs and spiny flower heads.; vs Phacelia: Gilia has white cobwebby hairs; Phacelia has coiled flower clusters and straight bristly hairs.; vs Allophyllum: Gilia has white cobwebby or bent hairs; Allophyllum has long fuzzy glandular hairs.; vs Aliciella: Gilia has funnel-shaped flowers; Aliciella has wheel-shaped flowers with spreading lobes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida native to California?
Yes. Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida bloom?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida grow?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, at elevations of 1500-2700 m.
What plant family does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida belong to?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida grow in?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. vivida grows in Common. Rocky or sandy soil, pine forest.
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.