Collinsia parviflora
small-flowered blue-eyed mary
SunFull Sun – Part Shade
Overview
Collinsia parviflora is a small annual wildflower in the plantain family, growing 2-16 inches (5-40 cm) tall on slender, often reddish stems. The leaves are opposite, narrow, and 0.4-1.5 inches (1-4 cm) long, the lower ones sometimes withering before flowering. The two-lipped flowers are 0.2-0.35 inch (5-9 mm) long, with a white upper lip and a blue to violet lower lip, carried singly or in small whorls in the leaf axils. Flowering runs from early to late spring, after which the plant sets seed and dies as the soil dries. It grows in moist, open ground that dries through the season, including grassy slopes, rock outcrops, woodland openings, and streambanks across much of western and northern North America. The small flowers are visited by native bees and other small insects. Seed is shed into the surrounding soil, allowing populations to reappear from a seed bank in following years. As a slender spring annual, it leaves no foliage or structure once it has set seed, and individual plants are easily overlooked among taller vegetation. It tolerates poor, thin soils but needs spring moisture and open light to establish.
Native Range
Native to western and northern North America, from Alaska and western Canada south through the western United States to Baja California, and east into the northern Great Plains.Suggested Uses
Used in wildflower meadows, native seed mixes, and the moist edges of rock gardens. Suited to naturalized spring displays in open or lightly shaded ground. Reseeds to form patches where soil is undisturbed.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'4"
Width/Spread2" - 6"
Bloom Information
Flowers from March to June, depending on elevation and latitude. Each plant blooms over several weeks in spring as soil moisture lasts. Flowering ends and seed ripens as the ground dries in early summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white upper lip with blue to violet lower lipFoliage Description
green, sometimes red-tingedGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows as a cool-season annual from seed sown in autumn or very early spring. It needs open light and moist soil during spring growth, tolerating part shade in warmer regions. Established seedlings tolerate thin, rocky soils and need no fertilizer. Watering is required only until plants flower, since they die back naturally as summer drought arrives. Plants reseed where soil is left undisturbed. Rich or heavily watered soil produces weak, floppy growth.Pruning
No pruning is required for this small annual. Plants can be left in place to set and shed seed. Dried stems break down quickly after the plant dies.✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
fall or early spring
Days to Maturity
60–90 days
Plant Spacing
4 inches
Companion Planting
Good Companions