Taxon Report

Polemonium pulcherrimum Hook. var. shastense (Eastw.) Stubbs

Mt. Shasta sky pilot

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Polemonium pulcherrimum var. shastense, commonly known as Mt. Shasta sky pilot, is a perennial herb in the Polemoniaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2175 to 3900 meters. Polemonium pulcherrimum var. shastense is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Polemonium pulcherrimum Hook. var. shastense (Eastw.) Stubbs
Common Name:	Mt. Shasta sky pilot
Family:	Polemoniaceae
Element Code:	PDPLM0E0J4
USDA Plants Symbol:	POPUS
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Sep	Jun-Sep
Elevation:	2175-3900 (7135-12795)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Volcanic (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.2 on 2014-11-17

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	13

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Callahan (4112237), Hotlum (4112243), Lassen Peak (4012145), McCloud (4112232), Mt. Shasta (4112242), Rainbow Mtn. (4112148), Thousand Lakes Valley (4012165)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	29 %
Foot traffic/trampling	4	28%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	7%

Notes




Threats:
Threatened by foot traffic.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, G5T2 / S2

Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32(4):205-206 (1905)

Madroño 60(3):243-248 (2013)

Polemonium pulcherrimum var. shastense profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2022)

Polemonium pulcherrimum var. shastense profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2022)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 19 November 2025].