Ugh, I should just give up on trading for penstemon seed. It never turns out to be what it's labeled! But of course, usually it does produce a pretty plant, so maybe I shouldn't complain. In any case, the second-year plants that just started blooming are most definitely not P. utahensis. They also don't quite match any of the penstemons I've grown previously. Willing to venture a guess as to which species it is?
Comments
Lori S. (not verified)
Ha! I almost knew without
Mon, 06/02/2014 - 7:05pmHa! I almost knew without even opening the message that it would be Penstemon hirsutus and it is! I swear, nine out of ten misidentified seedex penstemons turn out to be Penstemon hirsutus!
Rob Broekhuis
Aargh, of course it is. I
Mon, 06/02/2014 - 7:29pmAargh, of course it is. I should have known. I was thrown off by the sparse habit of these plants, which looks quite different from the stands of P. hirsutus I already have, but that's likely just because of the age and growing conditions. Flowers are indeed a good match.
And yes, that makes at least the third time I've gotten seed for P. hirsutus labeled as different species :)
Lori S. (not verified)
Yikes! Can I send you some
Tue, 06/03/2014 - 9:19pmYikes! Can I send you some penstemon seed this year (guaranteed to be the real thing, I promise!), just to restore your faith in humanity? ;-)
deesen (not verified)
........ and if you have lots
Wed, 06/04/2014 - 4:59am........ and if you have lots to spare Lori I'd welcome some too please.Maybe we could organise a swap.
Rob Broekhuis
Sure, I'm always looking for
Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:20pmSure, I'm always looking for an opportunity to trade. Truth be told, most penstemons I manage to grow from seed don't come through the winter anyway, but I like to try. Of course it's the same thugs that manage to survive every year :-)
Lori S. (not verified)
David and Rob, please do send
Fri, 06/06/2014 - 6:05pmDavid and Rob, please do send me your addresses when you have time... no rush, as it will be a long time before the seed can be collected.
Rob, if your penstemons are not generally wintering over, drainage is likely the problem. If you have access to it (e.g. library?), Bob Nold's Penstemons is an absolutely excellent guide to growing penstemons, as well as a superb resource for descriptions of the vast number of penstemon species. One of the best books I own!!
Oystein Normann
Had this little gem in flower
Mon, 07/17/2017 - 1:22amHad this little gem in flower for the first time this year (2017). Hopefully it is Penstemon uintahensis? Seed from NARGS–3465 2014.
deesen (not verified)
I can't tell you what it is
Tue, 07/18/2017 - 6:04amI can't tell you what it is Normann but according to my now well-thumbed copy of Bob Nold's book "Penstemons" (Timber Press- 1999) P. utahensis has red or reddish- pink flowers and wider leaves than does your plant..
LATER: after having done more reading, perhaps it is P. uintahensis easy to get that label wrong!