Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Ipomopsis aggregata

Ipomopsis aggregata (Pursh) V.E. Grant

Scarlet Gilia, Scarlet Standing-cypress, Skyrocket, Skunkflower

Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: IPAG

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

In upper leaf axils and at tops of sparsely-leaved stems are clusters of showy, bright red or deep pink, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Skyrocket, one of the most common western wildflowers, grows readily from seed; its brilliant red trumpets are handsome in the native garden. Its beauty compensates for the faint skunky smell of its glandular foliage, responsible for the less complimentary name Skunk Flower. Ipomopsis was once considered part of Gilia, explaining the name Scarlet Gilia.

From the Image Gallery

118 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Biennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , NM , NV , OK , OR , TX , UT , WA , WY
Native Distribution: Eastern Oregon to southern California; east to western Texas; north through the Rocky Mountains and the western edge of the plains to western North Dakota; also northern Mexico from Sonora east to Tamaulipas
Native Habitat: Hillsides, Slopes

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Igneous

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Color, Blooms ornamental, Showy, Attractive, Accent
Use Wildlife: Nectar-Hummingbirds
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1989 VOL. 6, NO.3 - Butterfly Gardens, Director\'s Report, Proper Care Gives Staying Power to Cut Fl...

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ipomopsis aggregata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ipomopsis aggregata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ipomopsis aggregata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-14
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back