Gilia aggregata

Identification

Description

Scarlet Gilia is a biennial or short lived perennial that grows one to three foot tall with one to multiple stems of red tubular flowers. Rather common in open sandy areas of middle elevations where the ground is covered with red trumpets in summer. Use in a rock garden or along your gravel paths skirting your mountain cabin. Or use it along your walkway or path between the trash cans and the backdoor, if you don't have the mountain cabin. This plant has been named by everyone that ever wrote a paper a different name. Common names range from Scarlet Gilia, Skyrocket, Sky Trumpet, Scarlet Trumpet Flower, Tem Paiute and Trumpet phlox. Scientific names range from Ipomopsis aggregata, Gilia aggregata, Cantua aggregata, Gilia pulchella, Gilia aggregata var bridgesii, Gilia aggregata attenuata, Gilia scariosa, Callisteris arizonica, Callisteris collina, Callisteris flavida, Callisteris formosissima, Callisteris texana, Batanthes (all the above species), ... texana var. maculata, Gilia aggregata subs. Euagregata var. attenuata forma utahensis , Gilia tenuituba forma utahensis, , forma ventrensis, Gilia tenuituba, ...var. macrosiphon, Ipomeria aggregata, Navarretia aggregata, and probably more names, variations, subspecies and forms. Californians seem to be the only taxonomists that call these plants Ipomopsis aggregata. But every beginning botanist seems to want to name it a different name. "Indians valued this plant because they used it to make a tea to treat children's colds, ... blood troubles, ... gonnorrhea in a five day seat process, ... to make glue... and a blue dye from the roots" Theodore Niehaus in Sierra Wildflowers