Cerastium beeringianum
Bering mouse-ear chickweed
(c) Paul Prior, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cerastium beeringianum (Bering mouse-ear chickweed) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by high elevation specialist.
Bering mouse-ear chickweed is a California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains in moist, rocky areas, grassy meadows, and open slopes at elevations of 2,900 to 4,300 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white flowers on delicate stems with petals 6 to 12 millimeters long. Growing as a low-spreading mat with both non-flowering and flowering stems reaching 1.5 to 10 centimeters tall, it forms dense ground-hugging clusters. Its leaves are small, lanceolate to elliptic, measuring 5 to 15 millimeters long and covered in glandular hairs. The plant produces fruits 5.5 to 8.5 millimeters long, with tiny seeds less than one millimeter in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; high elevation specialist
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist, rocky areas, grassy meadows, open slopes
Elevation: 2900-4300 m
California counties: Alpine, Sierra, Mono, Tuolumne, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Alaska, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico
Bloom period
Cerastium beeringianum blooms Jul-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Stellaria: Cerastium capsules are cylindrical and curved; Stellaria capsules are round and straight.; vs Limnanthes: Cerastium has tiny white flowers with cylindrical capsules; Limnanthes has showy bowl-shaped flowers with separate nutlets.; vs Pseudostellaria: Cerastium has fuzzy leaves and curved capsules; Pseudostellaria has smooth leaves and straight capsules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cerastium beeringianum native to California?
Yes. Cerastium beeringianum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cerastium beeringianum bloom?
Cerastium beeringianum blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Cerastium beeringianum grow?
Cerastium beeringianum occurs in Alpine, Sierra, Mono, Tuolumne, Siskiyou, at elevations of 2900-4300 m.
What plant family does Cerastium beeringianum belong to?
Cerastium beeringianum is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Cerastium.
What habitat does Cerastium beeringianum grow in?
Cerastium beeringianum grows in Moist, rocky areas, grassy meadows, open slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.