Penstemon laetus var. leptosepalus

Mountain blue penstemon

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Mountain blue penstemon is a California native perennial found in southern Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in conifer forest at elevations of 300 to 1,700 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 sturdy upright stems in clumps. Its leaves are broad, ranging from 4.5 to 22 millimeters wide, with a deep green coloration. The flower's calyx is 8 to 14 millimeters long with narrowly lanceolate lobes, creating a distinctive profile in its forest habitat.

Habitat: Conifer forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 300-1700 m

Bioregions: s CaR, n SN, MP.

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