Polemoniaceae
Polemonium californicum

Showy Jacob's Ladder

Prostrate, with tips curved upward. Stems soft with gland-tipped hairs. Leaves hairless, lance-shaped to oval, pinnately divided into 11–19 leaflets, with end leaflet fused to 2 just below. Inflorescence is an open head on 4 in. stem from upper leaves. Flower stalks less than 1/2 in., tube shorter than lobes, white with blue or yellow throat, bell-shaped, lobes blue to violet, stamens and style extending outward. Grows in open and shaded places in mixed woods at mid to high elevations. Can hybridize with P. pulcherrimum where ranges overlap.

  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Flowering Time: Mid Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: to 12 inches
  • Habitat: West-Side Forest, Subalpine, East-Side Forest
  • Found In: Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np, Crater Lake Np
  • Native: Yes

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