Penstemon heterodoxus var. shastensis

Shasta beardtongue

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Shasta beardtongue is a California native perennial found in the high Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau in montane meadows at elevations of 900 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pale purple to blue flowers in small clusters of 2 to 6 blossoms. Growing 15 to 65 centimeters tall with erect stems that are moderately glandular, it develops a compact habit in alpine meadow environments. Its leaves are elongated, measuring 30 to 140 millimeters long and 6 to 20 millimeters wide, arranged along the stem in a distinctive pattern. The plant forms distinctive flower clusters with glandular surfaces, creating a delicate appearance in its high-elevation mountain habitat.

Habitat: Montane meadows

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 900-2400 m

Bioregions: CaRH, MP.

California counties: Shasta, Plumas, Siskiyou, Modoc, Butte, Lassen

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