# Grand Collomia (*collomia grandiflora*) Grand Collomia (Collomia grandiflora) is a striking annual wildflower native to western North America, renowned for its dense, head-like clusters of tubular flowers. Rising elegantly on upright stems, this member of the phlox family paints dry, sunny landscapes with beautiful shades of salmon, peach, and cream. It is highly valued by native pollinators and nature enthusiasts alike for its rugged resilience and late spring to summer beauty. Thriving in sandy, gravelly, or disturbed soils, Grand Collomia serves as a pioneer species that stabilizes soils and provides early-season sustenance to insects. Its unique reproductive strategy and tough nature make it a fascinating study in plant adaptation, holding a special place in the ecology of open woodlands, chaparrals, and montane slopes. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Typically found on dry, open slopes, rocky hillsides, forest edges, and disturbed soils like roadsides across western North America. ![Grand Collomia](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/19322992/medium.jpg) Photo: rappman, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/19322992) ## Appearance This upright annual herb grows from 10 to 100 centimeters tall, featuring a sturdy, usually unbranched, slightly hairy stem. The alternate, lance-shaped leaves are bright green and lack stalks near the top of the plant. The most distinctive feature is the terminal, dense, rounded cluster of showy, trumpet-shaped flowers. Each trumpet flares into five lobes, displaying a range of unusual colors from pale cream and yellow to warm salmon, peach, or light orange. Prominent blue or white anthers peek out from the throat of the flowers, creating a lovely contrast against the warm-toned petals. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Polemoniaceae - **Genus:** Collomia ## Interesting facts - Grand Collomia's warm salmon-peach flower color is highly unusual among North American wildflowers, making it easily distinguishable. - Its self-pollinating closed flowers act as a biological insurance policy, guaranteeing survival even if no insects visit the plant. - The genus name 'Collomia' is derived from the Greek word for 'glue', highlighting the plant's fascinating sticky seed coat. ## Special abilities - **Mucilaginous Seeds:** Upon contact with moisture, the outer coating of the seeds swells into a sticky gel that glues the seed to the soil, preventing wind dispersal and conserving vital hydration. - **Cleistogamous Flowering:** In addition to showy open flowers, the plant can produce small, closed flowers that self-pollinate internally, ensuring seed production even under harsh conditions. - **Rapid Life Cycle:** As an annual, it germinates rapidly with spring moisture, flowering and setting seed before the intense heat and dry spells of late summer set in. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-100 cm - **Weight:** 0.01-0.15 kg - **Lifespan:** 1 years ## Diet & Feeding As a photosynthetic plant, Grand Collomia produces its own energy using sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and essential mineral nutrients drawn from the soil. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon dioxide, Water, Soil minerals ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Pollinates the showy open flowers, seeking nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Grazes on the foliage and flower heads during late spring. - **Mutualism:** [Western Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio rutulus*) — Visits the flowers for nectar, acting as a crucial pollinator in dry meadow ecosystems. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Grand Collomia? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Grand Collomia? 10-100 cm ### How much does Grand Collomia weigh? 0.01-0.15 kg ### How long does Grand Collomia live? 1 years ### What does Grand Collomia eat? As a photosynthetic plant, Grand Collomia produces its own energy using sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and essential mineral nutrients drawn from the soil. ### Where is Grand Collomia usually found? Typically found on dry, open slopes, rocky hillsides, forest edges, and disturbed soils like roadsides across western North America. ## Where to spot - [Discovery Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/discovery-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Pike Place Market](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pike-place-market) — Washington, US · Historic District - [Mountain Home Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mountain-home-grove) — California, US · Forest [View all places to see Grand Collomia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/grand-collomia) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Grand Collomia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grand-collomia)