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December 2004 Telesonix jamesii November 2004 Ranunculus eschscholtzii October 2004 Crocus speciosus September 2004 Arenaria 'Wallowas' August 2004 Scilla autumnalis July 2004 Leontopodium souliei June 2004 Penstemon pinifolius May 2004 Draba rigida v. bryoides April 2004 Vitaliana primuliflora March 2004 Clematis hirsutissima February 2004 Lewisia pygmaea January 2004 Hymenoxis grandiflora Archive 2003 Archive 2002 Archive 2001 Archive 2000 Archive 1999 Archive 1998 Archive 1997

Plant of the Month June 2004 Penstemon pinifolius by Iza Goroff Penstemon pinifolius is a member of the Scrophulariaceae, the Snapdragon Family, which includes the genera Antirrhinum (Snapdragon), Asarina, Besseya, Calceolaria, Celsia, Chelone, Chionophila, Collinsia, Cymbalaria, Diascia, Digitalis, Erinus, Hebe, Linaria, Mazus, Mimulus, Nemesia, Ourisia, Parahebe, Scrophularia, Selago, Synthyris, Torenia, Verbascum, Veronica, Veronicastrum, Wulfenia, and Zaluzianskya, genera from A to Z, all of which have good rock garden subjects. Another group of genera are currently grouped in the Scrophulariaceae, perhaps to be exiled when further DNA research settles its place in the plant evolutionary sequence. These include the hemiparasites Aureolaria, Castilleja, Orthocarpus, and Pedicularis. If Pedicularis is excluded from the Scrophulariaceae, Penstemon becomes the genus with the most species (about 300) in the family, a genus limited to North and Central America. Penstemon pinifolius is native to high altitudes in mountains straddling the border between Mexico and the states of New Mexico and Arizona in the Chihuahuan Desert. Penstemon pinifolius is a short plant, no more than 6 - 8 " (15 - 20 cm) tall with thin flower stems to almost 1' (30 cm)and spreading to about 18" (45 cm). Its stems are more like a heath's (Erica) than most other pentstemons, although there is another Penstemon named for a conifer, P. laricifolius, which is somewhat similar in leaf. Each narrow flower is about 1 1/4" (3 cm) long. Most plants have bright red-orange flowers, although plants I have seen in gardens at higher elevations (above 7,000' above sea level) seem to flower much more red. Although almost of the species flowers orange-red, two yellow flowered cultivars have been discovered: the first found is 'Mersea Yellow', a more recent one is 'Magdalena Sunshine', named for the Magdalena Mountains in New Mexico where it was discovered. Penstemon pinifolius is now very widely planted and grown, hardy in almost all of the USA, with the exception of the Southeast. Coming from a dry climate, its culture requires a very well drained, porous, gritty soil. The top two to four inches (5 - 10 cm) should be coarse sand with a gravel mulch. Unlike many southwest penstemons it prefers a neutral to slightly acid PH. It needs half to full sun to flower well and very good air circulation to be healthy. I was most surprised to see it growing flowering very well at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens where full sun is less than what is half sun over most of the USA. But it was placed high with excellent air circulation. Penstemon pinifolius is now widely available from many nursery sources, even from local garden centers. It can be grown from seed or propagated by cuttings. It is remarkable that a plant from so far south and not from the highest of mountains can be hardy to such low temperatures.