Bird's-Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor) is a California native wildflower with an expanded range, now extending to Oregon and east to Nevada. This plant thrives in a variety of dry habitats, including grasslands, meadows, and open slopes. Each flower has a unique structure with blue petals, a white eye, and a vibrant yellow center, a colorful combination that lends the plant its common name.
 
Bird’s-Eye Gilia typically blooms from late spring to early summer, producing an abundance of showy flowers for several weeks. The small cupped shape and color pattern of the flowers is especially attractive to small native bees. Plants have been known to naturalize outside of their native range, however, and should be reserved for the home garden and kept away from non-endemic natural areas.
 
Highly drought tolerant and short in stature, Bird’s-Eye Gilia is especially well suited for xeriscape borders and arid restoration projects within its native range. Plants prefer sandy, well-drained soils but can tolerate a wide range of soil types, including sandy or loamy soils. Germination is carefree, and seeds can be surface sown in place in fall or early spring.