Mertensia bella

Oregon lungwort, Oregon Lungwort

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Oregon lungwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the northwestern Klamath Ranges in Siskiyou County, specifically in wet meadows and springs at elevations of 1,500 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces blue to purple flowers in delicate, open raceme-like clusters. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with a single slender stem emerging from a spherical tuber-like root, it has an elegant, unbranded growth habit. Its leaves are distinctively veined, with cauline leaves that are petioled and strigose on the upper surface, creating a soft textural appearance. The flower's wide bell-shaped corolla, measuring 6 to 10 millimeters long, features a rudimentary tube shorter than the calyx, giving the plant a delicate and graceful character.

Habitat: Wet meadows, springs, under taller plants

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1500-1800 m

Bioregions: nw KR (Siskiyou Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.