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Penstemon

Known for their showy flowers, Penstemons from arid habitats are frequently

used in sunny, low water gardens and native gardens.

Others prefer sun to partial shade and regular water and can be grown

in a wide range of garden conditions.

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo'

Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus'

Penstemon caespitosus v caespitosus

Penstemon canescens

Penstemon cobea

Penstemon cyananthus

Penstemon eatonii

Penstemon glaber v alpinus

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs'

Penstemon hirsutus 'Pygmeaus'

Penstemon linarioides ssp coloradoensis

Penstemon pinifolius

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow'

Penstemon purpusii

Penstemon smallii

Penstemon strictus

Penstemon venustus

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'

Penstemon whippleanus

Penstemon x mexicale 'Sunburst Amethyst'

Penstemon x mexicale 'Sunburst Ruby'

 

Also

 Northwest Native Penstemons

Penstemon attenuatus v attenuatus - Sulphur Penstemon

Penstemon cardwellii  - Cardwell's Penstemon

Penstemon confertus - Yellow Penstemon

Penstemon davidsonii v davidsonii - Davidson's Penstemon

Penstemon davidsonii v menziesii - Menzie's Penstemon

Penstemon davidsonii v praeteritus - Timberline Penstemon

Penstemon deustis v pedicellatus - Hot Rock Penstemon

Penstemon euglaucus - Glaucus Beardtongue

Penstemon fruticosus - Shrubby Penstemon

Penstmon newberryi - Mountain Pride

Penstemon ovatus - Broad-Leaved Penstemon

Penstemon pratensis - White Flower Beardtongue

Penstemon procerus - Small Flowered Penstemon

Penstemon procerus v brachyanthus- Pincushion Penstemon

Penstemon procerus v formosus - Pincushion Penstemon

Penstemon richardsonii v dentatus - Cutleaf Penstemon

Penstemon richardsonii v richardsonii - Cutleaf Penstemon

Penstemon roezelii

Penstemon rupicola - Cliff Penstemon

Penstemon rydbergii - Rydberg's Penstemon

Penstemon rydbergii v oreocharis- Mountain Meadow Penstemon

Penstemon serrulatus - Cascade Penstemon

Penstemon speciosus - Royal Penstemon

Penstemon venustus - Lovely Penstemon

 


 

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo’



Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo'© Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' in garden

Penstemon barbatus praecox nanus 'Rondo'©

Penstemon barbatus ‘Rondo'

wide range of colors

  



This is a handsome plant with shiny dark green leaves and spikes of tubular flowers in summer. To about 16” tall and wide.  Deadhead for a second bloom. Has been easy to grow in our garden when given full sun and well-drained soil. Hardy to –30 degrees F. The species is native to the Southwestern US.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus’



Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus'© Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus'

Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus' in garden

©This tall freely blooming Penstemon attracts hummingbirds to our garden

 

  

Another Hummingbird Favorite

Tall spikes to 3' of rather elegant tubular red flowers in summer. Grow in full sun in well-drained soil. Hardy to –30 degrees F. The species is native to the Southwestern US.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon caespitosus v caespitosus



Penstemon caespitosus v caespitosus creeping in pot©Penstemon caespitosus v caespitosus in container

 

Mat Penstemon

Creeping mats smothered with blue, white-throated flowers. 4 x 12”+  Sun to part shade, very well-drained soil, low to mod water. –30 degrees F. CO Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon canescens

Penstemon canescens© Penstemon canescens

 

Penstemon canescens©Penstemon canescens

  

Eastern Gray Penstemon

Upright perennial with spikes of purplish pink flowers12-24” tall.  Sun to pt shade, needs well-drained soil. Hardy to

-20 degrees F.   Eastern US.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon cobaea



Penstemon cobaea, Showy Beardtongue© Penstemon cobaea

Penstemon cobaea flower© Penstemon cobaea

 

It is easy to see why the common name for this penstemon is

Showy Beardtongue!

Very large flowers that range from white to deep purple on stalks 12-24” high.  Grow in sun to part shade, well-drained soil, low water. Hardy to -20 degrees F. May go into dormancy during the summer months.  Native to Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and has naturalized in other states.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon cyananthus

Penstemon cyananthus close-up©Penstemon cyananthus Pentemon cyanthanthus©

 

Wasatch Penstemon

Rich blue flowers on spikes from 1-3' above mat of green basal leaves.  Sun to part shade, well-drained soil. Hardy to -20 degrees F. Northern Rocky Mountains. Scrophulariaceae

 

Grown from seeds collected in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah.

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon eatonii – Firecracker Penstemon

 

Penstemon eatonii©

Penstemon eatonii

Firecracker Penstemon

 

  

  



 

SW native to 20” with lance shaped green leaves and scarlet flowers May-July.   Full sun, very gritty, well-drained soil, low water. Can be short-lived but reseeds freely.   Hardy to –30 o F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon  glaber v alpinus

 

Penstemon glaber v alpinus flowers©

Penstemon glaber v alpinus

 

  

  

Alpine Sawsepal Penstemon

 

Low mat of green leaves, stems to 18” high with light blue, tubular flowers in summer.  Full sun, well-drained soil. Rockies  Hardy to -30 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon heterophyllus ‘ Blue Springs ’

 

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs' flower©

Penstemon heterophyllus

"Blue Springs'

  


Foothill Penstemon

 

Evergreen upright with glossy foliage and azure-blue, tubular flowers in summer.   18” x   24” Full sun, well-drained soil, low water. Hardy to 0 degrees F. CA native.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon hirsutus ‘ Pygmaeus’

 

 

Penstemon hirsutus 'Pygmaeus'©

Penstemon hirsutus 'Pygmaeus' flower

 



 

Dwarf ,shrubby evergreen with prostrate foliage and lavender and white flowers in summer.   6” x   10” Sun to part shade, well-drained soil, mod water. Hardy to -30 degrees F. Eastern US native.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

Penstemon linariodes ssp coloradoensis

 

 

Penstemon linariodes ssp coloradoensis©

Penstemon linariodes ssp coloradoensis

 

Bluemat Penstemon

 

Dwarf ,shrubby evergreen with silver, needlelike foliage and many lavender flowers in summer.   12” x   12”   A drought tolerant perennial that grows best in full sun in well-drained soil.  Zones 4-10.   Native to the Rocky Mountains.    Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon pinifolius - Pine Needle Beardtongue

 

 

  

 

Penstemon pinifolius in rock garden

 

Penstemon pinifolius, Pine Needle Beardtongue, is easy to grow in the sunny, dry rock garden.©

Penstemon pinifolius

Pineneedle Beardtongue

 

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' in rock garden©

Penstemon pinifolius

'Mersea Yellow' in rock garden

  



 

Attracts Hummingbirds!

Easy to grow evergreen subshrub 10-18” x 24” with needle-like leaves and brilliant orange-red flowers June-Sept.   Grow in full sun in well-drained soil with low to moderate water.   Use this versatile plant in border, rock garden or low water garden.   SW Native. Hardy to 10 degrees F.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' has finer foliage and yellow flowers.

 

 

 

Penstemon purpusii

 

 

Penstemon purpusii, Snow Moutain Penstemon© Penstemon purpusii

 

Snow Mountain Penstemon

 

 

Low growing mat to 12” across with-gray leaves and purple flowers in early summer.  Full to part sun, very well-drained soil, low water. –10 degrees F.  Native to NW California.  Scrophulariaceae

 

 

Penstemon smallii

 

 

Penstemon smallii© Penstemon smallii

 

Small's Penstemon

 

 

Showy lilac flowers with white throats on bushy plant 12-24” tall.  Sun to pt shade, well-drained soil, low to mod water. SE native.  Hardy to -10 degrees F. SE US Scrophulariaceae

 

Penstemon strictus

 

 

Penstemon strictus©

Penstemon strictus in garden©

  

Rocky Mountain Penstemon

 

 

Upright perennial with dark green basal leaves and spikes of blue-violet flowers in summer.  18” tall.  Sun to part shade, needs well-drained soil. Hardy to -30 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'©

  

Stiff Penstemon

 

Upright stems with glossy dark green foliage and blue-purple tubular flowers in summer.  12” x 16” Full sun, well-drained soil.  Hardy to -20 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon whippleanus – Whipple’s Penstemon

 

 

Penstemon whippleanus flower©

Whipple's Penstemon

Penstemon whippleanus in garden©  Penstemon whippleanus in our garden

 



 

Evergreen foliage and rich, wine to chocolate-colored, tubular flowers.   24”x12” Full to part sun, well-drained soil. Interior Western US mtn native.   Hardy to -30 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon x mexicali ‘Sunburst Amethyst’

 

 

Penstemon x mexicali 'Sunburst Amethyst'©

Penstemon x mexicali 'Sunburst Amethyst'

  



 

Upright perennial with glossy foliage and abundant purple tubular flowers in summer.   Performs well in our mixed perennial garden in ordinary garden soil.  18” x   18”  Sun to part shade, well-drained soil. Hardy to -10 degreees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

Penstemon x mexicali

‘Sunburst Ruby’

 

Penstemon x mexicale in garden© Penstemon x mexicali 'Sunburst Ruby'

 

Penstemon x mexicale 'Sunburst Ruby' flower

©

    

 

Upright perennial with glossy foliage and abundant ruby-red tubular flowers in summer.   Performs well in our mixed perennial garden in ordinary garden soil.  18” x   18”  Sun to part shade, well-drained soil. Hardy to -10 degreees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

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 Northwest Native Penstemons

  
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