Sisyrinchium idahoense
Idaho blue-eyed-grass
(c) Cameron Christopher Dunn, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sisyrinchium idahoense (Idaho blue-eyed-grass) is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family.
Idaho blue-eyed-grass is a California native perennial found in montane and alpine habitats at elevations up to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate plant produces blue to blue-violet flowers with yellow bases, each 8 to 17 millimeters long with rounded or deeply notched tips. Growing in tufted clumps less than 45 centimeters tall, the stems are green to glaucous with minimal leaf-bearing nodes. Its slender leaves emerge in dense clusters, forming a grass-like appearance with thin, upright growth. The translucent bracts surrounding the flower clusters add an ethereal quality to this elegant grassland species.
Habitat and range
California counties: Nevada, Mariposa, Tulare, Kern, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Trinity, Mono, Los Angeles, Ventura, Tuolumne, Plumas, Placer, Lassen, Butte, Shasta, Del Norte, Riverside, Sierra, Alpine
How to tell it apart
vs Erodium: Sisyrinchium has iris-like flowers with 6 equal petals; Erodium has 5-petaled geranium flowers.; vs Dipterostemon: Sisyrinchium has flattened winged stems; Dipterostemon has round stems and lily-like flowers.; vs Solanum: Sisyrinchium has 6 petals and grass-like leaves; Solanum has 5 petals and broad leaves.; vs Iris: Sisyrinchium has tiny flowers (<18mm) in clusters; Iris has large showy flowers with distinctive falls.; vs Romulea: Sisyrinchium has flattened winged stems; Romulea has round or 4-angled grooved stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sisyrinchium idahoense native to California?
Yes. Sisyrinchium idahoense is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Sisyrinchium idahoense grow?
Sisyrinchium idahoense occurs in Nevada, Mariposa, Tulare, Kern, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, Fresno, Inyo and other counties.
What plant family does Sisyrinchium idahoense belong to?
Sisyrinchium idahoense is in the Iridaceae family, genus Sisyrinchium.
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.