Blue-eyed Mary – Native Plant of the Day 10/21/2024
Photo from 6/15/2011. Location: Boise Foothills, Ada County, ID. >
More photos & info at the Collinsia parviflora detail page.
Maiden Blue Eyed Mary – Collinsia parviflora
Also NPOD 10/11/2011, 10/11/2012, 10/11/2013, 10/11/2014, 10/11/2015, 10/12/2016, 10/21/2017, 10/21/2018, 10/21/2019, 10/21/2020, 10/21/2021, 10/21/2022, 10/21/2023
Does this flower come in a purple version? Here In Laramie County, Wyoming, we have something that looks very similar, but it is purple, not blue. Tiny, tiny flowers that look so much the same, leaves look the same, low-growing, and when it grows en masse, it looks like a purple haze. It gives us much delight this time of the year. I can’t find anyone who knows exactly what this wildflower is.
I’m a bad one to ask about nuances of color. Turner Photographics says “2 upper lobes purplish blue to white; 3 lower lobes deep purplish blue.” Those lower lobes sure look blue to me, but with a purple hue on the “white” parts. Variances in color form is pretty common in wildflowers, so it wouldn’t surprise me a lot if some colonies leaned more toward purple than blue.
Thank you! They’re still blooming out there, with a purple haze around the plants. The flowers are actually white, with a purple line running through them. When the flowers are old the purple disappears.
My name being Collins I am interested in how this flower received its name?
Jim
Jim – The Collinsia genus is named for a Philadelphia botanist of the 18th and 19th centuries, Zaccheus Collins. While Mr. Collins was not party to discovery or publication of the genus, it is not unusual for the one who describes a genus to name it after someone who they highly respect.
I am interested in growing this plant in my yard. I have not seen them in the woods/woodlands around my house but, even if I did I would NOT dig them up and attempt to transplant them. Is there any place I could purchase the plants or the seeds. I live in MA and, if my research is correct, it is best to plant the seeds in the summer for fall germination. I would appreciate any information you could give me in finding a source to purchase the seeds. Thank you.
I reached out to Twitter but didn’t get a response from anyone who knew where seeds could be found. Sorry!
Spotted a patch in Port Crescent State Park in Port Austin, MI.
I have seen these, I would really like to know where to get seed or plants. I like to landscape my yard with native flora as much as possible.
If you find a source, please post it back here; my Google search turned up empty.