Nemophila spatulata

Sierra baby blue eyes

Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: annual · Native

Sierra baby blue eyes is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, Transverse Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, and Warner Mountains in meadows, roadsides, and mountain slopes at elevations of 1,100 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this delicate plant produces white or blue flowers with darker veining and occasional purple spots, creating bowl-shaped blossoms 2 to 10 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clusters across mountain landscapes. Its opposite leaves are distinctive, with lower blades that are oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, featuring 3 to 5 shallow lobes and winged petioles longer than the leaf blade itself. The plant produces 5 to 7 smooth, brown seeds with shallow pitting, adding to its delicate alpine charm.

Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, slopes

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 1100-3200 m

Bioregions: CaRH, s SNF, SNH, Teh, TR, SnJt, Wrn

California counties: Fresno, Los Angeles, Mono, Kern, Tulare, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Placer, Nevada, San Bernardino, Alpine, Madera, Calaveras, Butte, Plumas, Tehama, San Diego, El Dorado, Shasta, Amador, Riverside, Lassen, Monterey, Santa Clara, Inyo

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