Scarlet gilia

What does Scarlet gilia look like?

Scarlet gilia is a herbaceous plant that sends up a single, upright stem between 20 and 100 centimeters tall. Its flowers are trumpet-shaped and grow in clusters, with colors ranging from red and pink to orange, white, and rarely yellow. The leaves are fernlike, low to the ground, and covered in fine white hairs with silver specks. The plant is known for its many flowers, often around 84 per plant, and the leaves can have an unpleasant smell, especially when wet.

Where does Scarlet gilia come from?

Ipomopsis aggregata is native to the mountains of western North America, from southern British Columbia in Canada through the western United States and into northern and central Mexico. The first scientific description was based on a specimen collected in Idaho in 1806. The plant has changed scientific names several times, reflecting its similarity to morning glories and its clustered flowers. There are eight recognized subspecies, each found in different regions across its range.

When and how Scarlet gilia blooms

Scarlet gilia blooms from late spring to early summer, sometimes continuing into fall if conditions allow. It prefers sandy soil, part shade, and little water, and is well adapted to mountain climates. The plant is usually monocarpic, flowering once after three to seven years of growth, then dying. It is grown from seed and can regrow flowering stalks if grazed by animals.

How Scarlet gilia is used

The plant is popular in wildflower gardens and is valued for attracting hummingbirds, which are its main pollinators. In traditional medicine, some Sahaptin tribes boiled the plant to make a drink for kidney health. Its role in pollination research has made it a model species for studying how hummingbirds and other pollinators move pollen between flowers.

Kinds of Scarlet gilia

There are eight subspecies of Ipomopsis aggregata, each found in specific regions from British Columbia to Mexico. Flower color can vary by location, with pink forms common in some Colorado mesas and rare yellow flowers reported. The plant has many synonyms due to its changing scientific classification over time.

What Scarlet gilia means

Scarlet gilia is often called skyrocket for its bright, firework-like flowers. Its name in the Umatilla language means 'hummingbird food,' reflecting its close relationship with these birds. The plant is not tied to any particular festival or emblem, but its striking appearance and ecological role make it well known in its native range.

Questions people ask about Scarlet gilia

Good reading and sources

• USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
• Library of Congress CatalogLibrary of Congress, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Ipomopsis aggregata on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data