The
photo at right shows a close-up of the salmon-colored flower of large flowered
collomia as seen at about 4100' at a DNR rock quarry atop the ridge dividing the
Cougar and Dairy Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams..........July
10, 2005. Note the bluish anthers and the stigma which is divided into 4 spreading
lobes.
Large-flowered Collomia is a tall, slender annual which arises from 30-80 cm high. Most of these wildflowers are single stemmed, but occasionally one with several stems may occur. The herbage of the stems and leaves varies from nearly glabrous to fairly densely covered with short, matted or tangled, soft, wooly hairs. It has a dense terminal cluster of trumpet-like flowers.
The leaves are narrow, linear to narrowly lanceolate with entire margins, and may be as long as 4-8 cm long. The thick leaves are a dull, pale green and all are found on the stems.
The glandular inflorescence is congested and subtended by a number of large, leafy bracts. Typically, only several blossoms are in bloom at the same time, but occasionaly many will bloom at the same time which makes the plant quite attractive. The glandular calyx is narrowly bell-shaped and ranges from 6-8 mm long. The corollas are trumpet-shaped with the lobes shorter than the tube. The tube is white to cream or salmon-colored while the lobes range from salmon, flesh-colored or a pale yellow-cream . The tiny blue stamens extend to just past the mouth of the tube as does the style with its 4-lobed stigma.
This is an pretty annual wildflower for the dry wild garden and a number of nurseries and botanical gardens now offer it for sale. Be aware that it self-seeds readily and in moister habits will grow to its maximum height in denses clusters, where it will shade out smaller plants, so west of the Cascades consider it for pots or the back of the flower border where lower plants will be less impacted. In addition, clip out the drying inflorescences to collect the seeds (and prevent seed drop where you don't want them!).
Large-flowered Collomia is found in dry open or lightly wooded places, from low to moderate elevations.
Large-flowered Collomia is found from southern British Columbia south on both sides of the Cascade Mts to California, and hence eastward as far as western Montana, Wyoming and south to Arizona.
It may be found throughout the Columbia River Gorge between the elevations of 100'-3900'.
