Taxon Report

Penstemon californicus (Munz & Jtn.) Keck

California beardtongue

Print Report


Justin M. Wood 2009

Taxon Summary

Penstemon californicus, commonly known as California beardtongue, is a perennial herb in the Plantaginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1170 to 2300 meters. Penstemon californicus is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Penstemon californicus (Munz & Jtn.) Keck
Common Name:
 California beardtongue
Family: Plantaginaceae
Element Code: PDSCR1L110
USDA Plants Symbol: PECA6
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jun(Aug) May-Jun(Aug)
Elevation: 1170-2300 (3840-7545)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat: Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2
Global Rank: G3
State Rank:
 S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_USDA; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 13
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 13

Location
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Orange (ORA), Riverside (RIV)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Aguanga (3311647), Anza (3311656), Black Star Canyon (3311776), Blackburn Canyon (3311667), Butterfly Peak (3311655), Idyllwild (3311666), Palm View Peak (3311665), Sage (3311658), Toro Peak (3311654)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 5
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
2 15 %
Foot traffic/trampling 2 15%
Grazing 2 15%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 1 7%
Road/trail construction/maint. 1 7%
Development 1 7%

Notes
Known in CA from fewer than twenty occurrences. Threatened by development, foot traffic, grazing, trampling, vegetation/fuels management, and vehicles. See Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 23:31 (1924) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 26 October 2025].