Bird's-eyes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bird's-eyes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Polemoniaceae
Genus:	Gilia
Species:	G. tricolor
Binomial name
Gilia tricolor Benth.
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Gilia tricolor, also known as bird's-eyes or tricolor gilia, is a beautiful annual flowering plant. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It belongs to the phlox family, which is called Polemoniaceae.

Where Do Bird's-Eyes Grow?

This plant is native to California in the United States. You can find it growing naturally in the Central Valley and the lower parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It also grows in the Coast Ranges.

What Does the Bird's-Eyes Plant Look Like?

How to Identify Bird's-Eyes Flowers

The flowers of the Gilia tricolor are quite special. Each flower has five green sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the bud. It also has five petals that are joined together, forming a bell shape.

The petals have three distinct colors, which is why it's called "tricolor." The tips of the petals are a pretty blue-violet color. As you move down the petals, you'll see purple spots. The very center of the flower, known as the throat, is yellow. This mix of blue-violet, purple, and yellow makes the flower look like a bird's eye!

See also

In Spanish: Gilia tricolor para niños

Gallery

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  Gilia tricolor botanical illustration

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  Polemonaceae Bird's Eye

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  Gilia Tricolor (human hand for scale)

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  Group of Gilia Tricolor

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  Gilia Tricolor

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  Gilia Tricolor