Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains are home to
- 36 endemic plant species
- 37 ESA-listed species—21 are listed as threatened or endangered
- 92 sensitive plant species
Our plant species live in one of three rare habitats – Pebble Plains, Mountain Meadows and Carbonate.
Here are some of the fascinating and most-seen plants in each of those habitats…
Pepple Plain Habitat
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Kennedys-Buckwheat-225x300.jpg)
Kennedy’s Buckwheat Eriogonum kennedii var. austromontanum Threatened (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ash-Gray-Indian-Paintbrush-281x300.jpg)
Ash-Gray Indian Paintbrush Castilleja Cinerea Threatened (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Rayless-Daisy-300x225.jpg)
Douglas’s violet Viola douglasii
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Douglass-Violet-267x300.jpg)
Douglas’s violet Viola douglasii
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Fuzzy-Rat-tail-300x272.jpg)
Fuzzy Rat-tail Ivesia argyrocoma Sensitive Species (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bear-Valley-Sandwort-300x224.jpg)
Bear Valley Sandwort Arenaria ursine Threatened (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Dwarf-Pussy-toes-300x200.jpg)
Dwarf pussy-toes Antennaria dimorpha
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Alpine-Milkvetch-300x225.jpg)
Alpine Milkvetch Astragalus purshii
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Parishs-Rock-cress-300x225.jpg)
Parish’s rock-cress Arabis parishii Sensitive Species (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bitter-root-2-300x227.jpg)
Bitter-root Lewisia rediviva
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bitter-root-1-215x300.jpg)
Bitter-root Lewisia rediviva (grows the plant, which reabsorbs before flowers bloom)
Here is detailed information about one of our Pebble Plains: Moonridge
Montane Meadow Habitat
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bird-footed-Checkerbloom-219x300.jpg)
Bird-Footed Checkerbloom Sidalcea Pedata Endangered (federal, state)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Slender-petaled-Mustard-200x300.jpg)
Slender-petaled mustard Thelypodium stenopetalum Endangered (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/California-Dandelion-300x225.jpg)
California Dandelion Taraxacum Californicum Endangered (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/San-Bernardino-Blue-Grass-225x300.jpg)
San Bernardino Blue Grass Poa Atropurpurea Endangered (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Lemon-Lily-300x225.jpg)
Lemon Lily Lilium parryi Sensitive species (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ocellated-Humboldt-Lily-207x300.jpg)
Ocellated Humboldt Lily Lilium humboldtii var. ocellatum Sensitive species (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Yellow-Owls-Clover-194x300.jpg)
Yellow Owl’s Clover Castilleja lasiorhynchus Sensitive Species (federal)
Carbonate Habitat
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Cushenbury-Milk-Vetch-300x193.jpg)
Cushenbury MilkVetch Astragalus albens Endangered (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Parishs-Daisy-300x199.jpg)
Parish’s Daisy Erigeron parishii Threatened (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/San-Bernardino-Mountains-Bladderpod-300x200.jpg)
San Bernardino Mtns. Bladderpod Physaria kingii ssp. bernardina Endangered (federal) Especially vulnerable--Only known to exist in 2 small areas in Big Bear Valley
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Cushenbury-Buckwheat-1-300x202.jpg)
Cushenbury Buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum Endangered (federal)
![](https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Cushenbury-Buckwheat-2-300x300.jpg)
Cushenbury Buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum -flowering Endangered (federal)
For more plants and additional information on the plants in our mountains, visit:
Heaps Creek Arboretum and California Native Plant Society