[2] It is native to the mountains of northern California, Oregon, and Nevada, where it grows in rocky habitat, often at high elevation, such as talus.

The leaves are mostly basal on the plant, oblong or oval and toothed, measuring 1 to 4 centimetres (0.4 to 1.6 in) in length, with a few smaller pairs along the stem.

The flower is generally tubular or funnel-shaped and has a coating of short to long and curly hairs in the mouth and on the staminode.

[3] In cultivation in the UK, it has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The Latin specific epithet newberryi honors the American geologist and botanist John Strong Newberry (1822–1892).