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Close-up of Grand Collomia flowers (Collomia grandiflora). One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Close-up of the buds on grand collomia (Collomia grandiflora) about to burst into flower. One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Close-up of Grand Collomia flowers (Collomia grandiflora). One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Close-up of Grand Collomia flowers (Collomia grandiflora). One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Growth habit of grand collomia (Collomia grandiflora) in flower. One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Growth habit of grand collomia (Collomia grandiflora) in flower. One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
A lovely flowering patch of grand collomia (Collomia grandiflora). One of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.
A native meadow full of flowering grand collomia (Collomia grandiflora) and Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum). A few of the 150+ species of Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Grand Collomia (Seeds)

Collomia grandiflora

Grand Collomia is a stunning annual wildflower ideal for sowing throughout bare areas of your sunny habitat garden. It produces an upright, fuzzy stem, which may be red to green in color, with attractive lance-shaped leaves. By late spring or early summer, each plant is gorgeously topped with a terminal cluster of sticky buds that burst into trumpet-shaped peach flowers that have visible blue anthers. Not only are both of these colors rare in a Pacific Northwest habitat garden, but Collomia holds its showy blooms longer than many wildflowers, attracting and supporting bumblebees and other native pollinators for weeks.

  • Plant type/canopy layer: annual, deciduous, herbaceous plant 
  • Size at maturity: 18"-24" tall, 6”-12” wide
  • Light requirements: full sun, part sun/part shade
  • Moisture requirements: dry to moist soil
  • Bloom Time: April - July (May - June in the Portland Metro area)
  • Growth rate/ease: medium growth rate, easy to grow
  • Wildlife support: flowers attract and supports hummingbirds, adult bumblebees, butterflies and other native pollinators; overall plant attracts and supports beneficial and other pest eating insects
  • Native habitat/range: found in open woods and dry clearings, from sea level to mid-elevation, across the Pacific Northwest from northern California to British Columbia. Portland Plant List - yes. 
  • Special features & uses: drought-tolerant; landscape uses include pollinator gardens, meadowscapes, and woodland gardens  

Gardening with Grand Collomia: This beautiful wildflower prefers fully to mostly sunny sites with well-drained soil of average fertility. Although it is an annual, it can readily reseed itself around the garden, if planted in a favorable location. It is fascinating to note how dynamic it typically is. It may boom in your garden for a few years, providing spectacular floral shows, then have years where there are only a few individuals scattered about.    

Sowing instructions: Scatter seed on loose-weed free soil. between September and November or in March so that seeds will benefit from seasonal rains.  If sowing in April or May, seeds will benefit from supplemental water to encourage strong growth and blooms the first year. Raked in the seeds to increase seed-to-soil contact, but be careful not to cover the seed with more than 1/4" soil.

Photo Credit 1: "Collomia grandiflora" by John Game is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

Photo Credit 2: © Jeffrey Lee (he/him/his), some rights reserved (CC-BY) 

Photo Credit 3: "Large Flowered Collomia (Collomia grandiflora)" by Tim Berger is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

Photo Credit 4: © rappman, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

Photo Credit 5: © Lindsey K. Wise, some rights reserved (CC-BY) 

Photo Credit 6: © Lindsey K. Wise, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

Photo Credit 7: Tracy Cozine, Sparrowhawk Native Plants

Photo Credit 8: © Daniel Kennedy, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

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