Penstemon laetus var. laetus

Mountain blue penstemon

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Mountain blue penstemon is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada and western Transverse Ranges in foothill to montane forest at elevations of 400 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces blue flowers with an open throat and spreading lips. Growing with stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it develops compact clusters of delicate blossoms. Its leaves are narrow, ranging from 2 to 11 millimeters wide, providing a delicate green backdrop to the vivid blue flowers. The plant's calyx is 4.7 to 9 millimeters long, with widely lanceolate lobes that complement its distinctive floral structure.

Habitat: Foothill to montane forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 400-2500 m

Bioregions: SN, WTR.

California counties: Kern, Tulare, Calaveras, Fresno, Tuolumne, Madera, Placer, Mariposa, El Dorado, Plumas, Ventura, Orange, Amador, Trinity, Yuba, Siskiyou, Nevada, Butte

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