Penstemon californicus

California beardtongue

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

California beardtongue is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) native perennial found in the Peninsular Ranges in sandy soils of yellow-pine forest and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,200 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces blue-purple flowers with white interiors and dark lines, approximately 14 to 18 millimeters long. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with spreading to ascending stems covered in appressed, flat, scale-like hairs pointing backward, it forms a delicate herbaceous clump. Its leaves are linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 7 to 15 millimeters long, with entire margins and petioled bases. The flower calyx is 4 to 8.5 millimeters long, with ovate lobes that are similarly hairy and sometimes sparsely glandular.

Habitat: Sandy soils, yellow-pine forest or pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1200-2300 m

Bioregions: PR

California counties: Riverside, San Diego, Siskiyou

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