Penstemon spp.
Penstemons (also called beardtongues) are the largest genus of flowering plants native to North America and come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Throughout the 1900s penstemon species from Mexico and the Southwest U.S. were imported to Europe and bred and hybridized specifically for long, showy blooms and adaptability into traditional Western gardens. Many of these hybrids (and their descendants) are still around today and have been a staple of pollinator gardens everywhere.
Care: Old stems provide winter protection to new spring growth so it is best to prune them in the spring after severe winter weather has passed. They can be pruned quite severely down to around 6 inches above the ground. Additionally, adding a layer of gravel around their crown can increase longevity by improving drainage and preventing crown rot.
Penstemon cardwellii
Description: evergreen groundcover; a species named for Dr. James R. Cardwell, a horticulturalist and the first ever dentist to practice in Portland, OR. Found in the Oregon Cascades and Coast Range and the southernmost Washington Cascades at moderate elevations. Mat-forming with dense shrubby growth and attractive foliage year round. Blue-violet flowers from late spring into summer.
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 3 months of summer drought
Penstemon davidsonii
Description: evergreen groundcover; a very low-growing penstemon that forms a dense mat of small, glossy leaves. Profuse blooms of blue-violet flowers from late spring into summer. Longer-lived with lean soil and a mulch of gravel beneath.
Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, containers, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 3 months of summer drought
Penstemon heterophyllus ex 'Blue Springs'
Description: evergreen shrublet; a seed strain of the widespread California foothills penstemon (though we propagate ours vegetatively meaning they will always be exact clones). A truly stunning penstemon! Very showy blue-violet flowers bloom beginning in May and often through November. No supplemental water needed and really no need to prune. Beautiful linear foliage stays evergreen.
Height: to 14 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, containers, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought
Penstemon kunthii
Description: perennial; an impressively hardy species native to Southern Mexico. Strong, arching growth that won't flop under the weight of it's copious red trumpet flowers. Long-lived and long-blooming from summer until first frost. No garden should be without it.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below
Penstemon ovatus
Description: perennial; found in damp, rocky outcrops at moderate elevations from Oregon to B.C. Forms and evergreen, basal rosette from which it sends up 18 in. stalks covered in small, blue-violet flowers from spring into early summer. Tolerates more shade than most penstemon.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: partial shade and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow'
Common name(s): beardtongue, yellow pineleaf penstemon
Description: evergreen shrublet; found as a yellow-flowering sport of the typical red-orange flowering P. pinifolius in an English garden. One of very few truly yellow-flowered penstemons in cultivation. Very attractive foliage year-round and profuse blooms of tubular yellow flowers throughout the summer. Very well-adapted to drought as the species is native to Arizona and New Mexico.
Height: to 12 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, containers, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 3 months of summer drought
Penstemon procerus
Common name(s): beardtongue, little-flower penstemon, small-flowered penstemon
Description: perennial; one of the most widespread of the penstemon species in the Northwestern U.S, found from Colorado to Alaska at mid to high elevations. Defined by very dense inflorescences of small, blue-violet flowers. Blooms spring into summer.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil (lean, rocky soil is best)
Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 3 months of summer drought
Penstemon serrulatus
Common name(s): beardtongue, cascade penstemon
Description: perennial; found in the Oregon Cascade and Coast range and northward. Finely serrated leaves and blue-violet flowers in summer. Generally occurs in wetter habitats than most penstemon species.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below