Polemonium eddyense
Mount eddy sky pilot, Mount Eddy Sky Pilot
(c) Gail A Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gail A Baker · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Polemonium eddyense (Mount eddy sky pilot) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by yellow throat with violet lobes is unique.
Mount eddy sky pilot is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges at Mount Eddy on serpentine soils at elevations of 2,649 to 2,750 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces violet and yellow flowers in tight heads with a funnel-shaped corolla about 15 millimeters wide. Growing as a densely glandular-hairy, cespitose herb with erect stems 6.5 to 11 centimeters tall, occasionally tinged with reddish coloration. Its basal leaves have 16 to 26 small leaflets, each 1 to 6 millimeters long and divided into 2 to 5 lobes, with membranous sheathing petiole bases. The compact fruit is 4.5 to 5 millimeters long, containing 7 to 9 dark brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; yellow throat with violet lobes is unique
Habitat and range
Habitat: Serpentine soils
Elevation: 2649-2750 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity
Bloom period
Polemonium eddyense blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 eddyense native to California?
Yes. Polemonium eddyense is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Polemonium eddyense bloom?
Polemonium eddyense blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Polemonium eddyense grow?
Polemonium eddyense occurs in Siskiyou, Trinity, at elevations of 2649-2750 m.
What plant family does Polemonium eddyense belong to?
Polemonium eddyense is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Polemonium.
Is Polemonium eddyense rare or endangered?
Polemonium eddyense carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.