Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by open clusters with long pedicels and bird's-eye pattern.
Three-colored gilia is a California native annual found in northern coastal, northern central, and central California regions including the Sierra Nevada foothills, Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and western Mojave Desert in open grasslands, hills, and valleys at elevations of 90 to 1,530 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces delicate flowers with pale lobes and distinctive throat spots arranged in pairs. Growing with slender stems up to 30 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms open clusters of blossoms with pedicels 10 to 40 millimeters long. Its leaves are finely divided, creating a feathery, intricate appearance across the plant's structure. The small ovoid fruits measure 3 to 6 millimeters in length, containing 12 to 36 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 42 sympatric species; key features are open clusters with long pedicels and bird's-eye pattern
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open grassland, hills, valleys
Elevation: 90-1530 m
California counties: Amador, Kern, Tulare, El Dorado, Placer, Fresno, Lake, Madera, Mariposa, San Benito, Orange, Los Angeles, Sutter, San Bernardino, Alameda, Colusa, San Luis Obispo, Sacramento, Nevada, San Joaquin, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, Napa, Tehama, Monterey, Calaveras, Shasta, Mendocino, Sonoma, Merced, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, Solano
Bloom period
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa blooms Mar-Jul.
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 tricolor subsp. diffusa native to California?
Yes. Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa bloom?
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa grow?
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa occurs in Amador, Kern, Tulare, El Dorado, Placer, Fresno, Lake, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 90-1530 m.
What plant family does Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa belong to?
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa grow in?
Gilia tricolor subsp. diffusa grows in Open grassland, hills, valleys.
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.