<%@ Language=JavaScript %> Wildflowers of the Northwest -- Blue-eyed Mary
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Latin Name:

Collinsia parviflora, Collinsia grandiflora, Collinsia rattanii, Collinsia sparsiflora

Common Name(s):

Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary, Maiden Blue-Eyed Mary, Blue-Lips

Family Name:

Figwort


Size:

2-16 inches

Flower Size:

0.25 inch wide

Flower Shape:

Tubular

Color(s):

Blue/Violet ()

Description:

Tiny blue and white flowers (white or blue-white on the the top two petals, blue on the lower two petals) attached to a short, hairy stalks. Each flower has 4 stamens tucked behind a small "secret" middle lobe. Lower two lobes typically protrude more forward than the upper two lobes.

Tidbits:

This is the smallest flower in the figwort family.


Ecology:

Open moist slopes and banks, mossy outcrops, grassy areas, gravelly flats.

Blooming Season:

April-July

Related Flowers:

Monkey Flower, Woodland Penstemon

Similar Flowers:

Woodland Penstemon, Common False Pimpernel

Collinsia parviflora at Dog Mountain

There are actually several species of Blue-eyed Mary's in the Pacific Northwest. The most common, which is detailed above, is the Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary (c. parviflora). It is the smallest flower of the four and is quite common.

 

I actually love the small flowered variety the most -- it has so much personality packed into its tiny space. They tempt you to lean all the way over and study their unique ostentatious display. They rank near the top on my favorite flowers list. 

Collinsia parviflora

 

A Purple Variety

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