Common Fiddleneck

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia

common fiddleneck blooming at Academy Village

About the Plant

Common fiddleneck is one of our earlier native spring wildflower, a hairy plant with small yellow-orange flower. It is upright, to about 18 inches in our area, growing taller as the coiled flower stalks straighten. Before the flower stalks form, it is easy to mistake this plant for a grass with wide, hairy leaves.

An annual, common fiddleneck needs no care from you other than to leave it alone until it dies back and seeds are released.

Notes: previous scientific name for this plant was Amsinckia intermedia. The name is still in use.

More Information

Map of distribution in US (as Amsinckia intermedia) (yellow indicates plant is native but rare)

Technical botanical description from SEINet

ID Characteristics

This plant is in the Boraginaceae - the borage family.
Amsinckia
Common fiddleneck can grow to over 2 feet but in our area is usually 18 inches or less. The stem branches low to form several flowering stalk.
Amsinckia
The leaves are linear and hairy, ending in a point (see both photos above). They may be 6 inches long at the base of the plant, becoming smaller, sessile, and alternate higher on the plant. The stem is covered with stiff almost sharp bristles.
Amsinckia
The flowers are small, about 1/8 inch wide with 5 petals that can vary in color from light to medium orange-yellow. There are spots of darker orange or red at the base of the inside of each petal. Each flower has a short tube before flaring out to show the 5 petals.
Amsinckia
The flower stalk is initially tightly coiled, reminiscent of the top of a the neck of a violin (hence "fiddleneck) or of a scorpion's tail. As the flowers open, the coil gradually unrolls, adding to the height of the plant. Fruit may form on the lowest flowers while new flowers are opening near the tip.