Penstemon filiformis

Thread-leaved beardtongue

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Thread-leaved beardtongue is a California native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in the northern Trinity and northwestern Shasta counties of the Klamath Ranges in open, rocky places and yellow-pine forest at elevations of 400 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces distinctive blue flowers 13 to 16 millimeters long with glandular exteriors. Growing with woody-branched stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall and covered in fine downward-pointing hairs, it develops an intricate growth habit. Its leaves are remarkably thread-like, with tight basal clusters and cauline leaves approximately 0.5 millimeters wide, tightly inrolled and entire. The plant's delicate blue flowers and extremely narrow leaves make it a unique component of its rocky woodland habitat.

Habitat: Open, rocky places among shrubs, yellow-pine forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 400-1700 m

Bioregions: KR (n Trinity, nw Shasta cos.).

California counties: Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou

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