# small-flowered blue-eyed mary (*Collinsia parviflora*) The small-flowered blue-eyed mary is a pretty little flower with tiny blue and white blooms. It often grows in clusters and can be found in many places, bringing beauty to gardens and fields. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![small-flowered blue-eyed mary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Collinsia_parviflora_3683.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collinsia_parviflora_3683.JPG) ## Appearance The small-flowered blue-eyed mary is a slender annual herb with delicate, two-lipped flowers typically a vibrant blue or violet, often featuring white or yellow markings on the lower lip. Its small size and bright blooms help it stand out in early spring. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Plantaginaceae - **Genus:** Collinsia ## Interesting facts - It's an "ephemeral" beauty, meaning its brief bloom delights only for a short time! - Its tiny flowers are perfect landing pads for small, busy native bees. - Named after botanist Thomas Nuttall, who first described it in North America. - Some species of blue-eyed mary are native only to California, nowhere else! ## Special abilities - **Quick Sprout:** This plant can grow, flower, and set seeds rapidly, completing its entire life cycle in just a few weeks after rain. - **Tiny Seed Traveler:** Small-flowered blue-eyed mary produces many tiny seeds that can be easily dispersed by wind or water to new locations. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-40 cm - **Spread:** 5-15 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — An important native pollinator in its range. - **Eats:** Green peach aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — Sap-feeding insect that can feed on many plants. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers, so everyone can enjoy them! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify small-flowered blue-eyed mary? 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 tall is small-flowered blue-eyed mary? 5-40 cm ### How wide does small-flowered blue-eyed mary spread? 5-15 cm ### How big are the flowers on small-flowered blue-eyed mary? 0.3-1 cm ### When does small-flowered blue-eyed mary bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is small-flowered blue-eyed mary edible? No ### Is small-flowered blue-eyed mary toxic? None ### What is small-flowered blue-eyed mary's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Great Northern Railway Buildings](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-northern-railway-buildings) — Montana, US · Historic Site - [Sierra Safari Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sierra-safari-zoo) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/craters-of-the-moon-national-monument-and-preserve) — Idaho, US · National Park - [Jenny Lake Boat Concession Facilities](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jenny-lake-boat-concession-facilities) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jenny-lake-ranger-station-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Johnson Lake Mine Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/johnson-lake-mine-historic-district) — Nevada, US · Historic District [View all places to see small-flowered blue-eyed mary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/small-flowered-blue-eyed-mary) ## 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: [Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/small-flowered-blue-eyed-mary)