Polemonium californicum
California polemonium
(c) John A Haskins, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Polemonium californicum (California polemonium) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by terminal leaflet fusion.
California polemonium is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California High Sierra, and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in dry, open to shaded montane forest areas at elevations of 1,600 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces light to dark blue or purple flowers in bell-shaped blossoms approximately 7 to 15 millimeters in diameter. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 12 to 25 centimeters tall, the plant forms dense cespitose clusters with glandular-hairy stems. Its leaves are primarily basal, with 9 to 25 elliptic to lanceolate leaflets that are 10 to 25 millimeters long, arranged with the terminal leaflet slightly fused to adjacent leaflets. The fruit is small, measuring 2 to 4 millimeters long, containing 6 to 10 brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; terminal leaflet fusion is diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open to shaded areas in montane forest
Elevation: 1600-3100 m
California counties: Tulare, Alpine, Plumas, Fresno, El Dorado, Sierra, Siskiyou, Trinity, Nevada, Mariposa, Shasta, Placer, Tuolumne, Amador, Tehama, Madera, San Diego, Marin
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Polemonium californicum blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Phlox: Polemonium (Jacob's ladder) has pinnately compound leaves with many discrete leaflets arranged ladder-like along the rachis; Phlox has simple, entire, usually opposite leaves.; vs Gilia: Polemonium bears true separate leaflets; Gilia leaves are pinnately dissected into narrow lobes rather than divided into distinct leaflets.; vs Ipomopsis: Polemonium leaflets are broad and entire; Ipomopsis leaves are finely cut into thread-like segments.; vs Collomia: Polemonium has compound leaves and open branched cymes; Collomia has entire to lobed leaves and flowers clustered among leafy bracts.; vs Vicia: Polemonium leaves lack tendrils and its flowers are radially symmetric bells or funnels; vetch leaves end in tendrils and bear bilateral pea flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Polemonium californicum native to California?
Yes. Polemonium californicum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Polemonium californicum bloom?
Polemonium californicum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Polemonium californicum grow?
Polemonium californicum occurs in Tulare, Alpine, Plumas, Fresno, El Dorado, Sierra, Siskiyou, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of 1600-3100 m.
What plant family does Polemonium californicum belong to?
Polemonium californicum is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Polemonium.
What habitat does Polemonium californicum grow in?
Polemonium californicum grows in Dry, open to shaded areas in montane forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.