Gilia stellata
Star gilia
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia stellata (Star gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by sharply bent white hairs and yellow throat with purple spots.
Star gilia is a native annual found in the eastern Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert in sandy desert flats and washes at elevations below 1,770 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pink or white flowers in funnel-shaped corollas 6 to 10 millimeters long with distinctive yellow throats marked by purple spots. Growing with multiple branches from its base, the plant reaches 10 to 40 centimeters tall with stems that are gland-dotted above and covered in white, sharply bent hairs. Its basal leaves form a grayish rosette with 1 to 2-pinnate lobes, having linear axes and short-pointed teeth on both sides of each lobe. The small fruits are widely ovoid, measuring 5 to 7 millimeters long and containing 9 to 18 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; key features are sharply bent white hairs and yellow throat with purple spots
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sandy desert flats, washes
Elevation: < 1770 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey
Outside California: to Utah, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Gilia stellata blooms Mar-May.
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 stellata native to California?
Yes. Gilia stellata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia stellata bloom?
Gilia stellata blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Gilia stellata grow?
Gilia stellata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, at elevations of < 1770 m.
What plant family does Gilia stellata belong to?
Gilia stellata is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia stellata grow in?
Gilia stellata grows in Common. Sandy desert flats, washes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Gilia tenuiflora — Greater yellowthroat gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis — Trumpet-throated gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. arenaria — Monterey gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri — Santa lucia gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. hoffmannii — Hoffmann's slender-flowered gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. tenuiflora — Slender-flowered gilia
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.