It is endemic to Plumas County, California, where it is known from only about ten occurrences along the North Fork of the Feather River in the High Sierra.

It is a member of the serpentine soils flora in rocky mountain habitat.

Monardella stebbinsii is a perennial herb forming a mat or clump of densely hairy stems.

The purple-gray hairy leaves are oval in shape and arranged oppositely on the stems.

The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a small cup of leathery purplish bracts.