Common names:
Red mountain heather, Brewer's mountain heather, purple mountain heath
Family:
Scientific name:
Phyllodoce breweri
Main flower color:
Range:
East and central California (Cascade Range to the San Bernardino Mountains), and a small area of northwest Nevada
Height:
Several feet
Habitat:
Open mountain slopes, subalpine meadows
Leaves:
Evergreen, pine-like, around one inch long
Season:
June to August
Phyllodoce breweri is a low-growing evergreen shrub, the needle-like leaves helping to minimise water loss in the exposed environments which it inhabits. The plant branches profusely and bears clusters of unexpectedly bright and showy flowers in mid to late summer. They grow mostly from the ends of each branch and consist of (up to) several dozen individual heads, each with five partly fused pink petals, curving back at the tips to expose the large yellow ovary and ten long stamens.
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