Flower profile

Mountain bluebells

Mertensia ciliata

Native in the lower 48

Mountain bluebells is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

11states

2of our state lists

3,614U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Wyoming

Quick look

Mertensia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names mountain bluebell, tall fringed bluebells, and streamside bluebells.
From Wikipedia's article Mertensia ciliata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado and Wyoming. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,739 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #95 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 333 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #88 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

Mountain bluebells gift ideas

Handmade mountain bluebells gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Mountain bluebells art print
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Mountain bluebells embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (722 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	June–August	1,739
Wyoming	Native	June–August	333

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NM (S2), SD (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records mountain bluebells in 11 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit, Teller, Weld.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie.

More Colorado flowers

Hound's-tongue

Cynoglossum officinale

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–July

Silky phacelia

Phacelia sericea

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Ballhead waterleaf

Hydrophyllum capitatum

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MECI3.
iNaturalist, Mertensia ciliata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Mertensia ciliata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Mertensia ciliata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Rory O'Shea via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.