Western Polemonium
Polemonium occidentale
Teresa Prendusi
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Polemoniaceae
- Genus:
- Polemonium
- Species:
- Polemonium occidentale
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- Blue
Native Range
United States: California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Often found in wet meadows and along streams
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o