11) Penstemon and other Scrophulariaceae

Not Penstemon utahensis...

Submitted by Broekhuis on Mon, 06/02/2014 - 19:58

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?

Penstemon debilis

Submitted by Merlin on Sat, 05/24/2014 - 15:28

I took this photo yesterday of Penstemon debilis in my rock garden. This plant seems to be a real slow grower for me but is a reliable bloomer every year. it dies to the ground every winter making you wonder if they will come back in the spring but they always do. The pink tone in the picture is a little exaggerated as the flowers are really more pale than the picture.

Western Penstemons for Eastern Gardens

Submitted by Leonard Lehman on Thu, 09/26/2013 - 11:47

As many of you know, our Alleghany Chapter put in a rather lovely rock garden at the National aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. Today, during our regularly scheduled rock garden maintainence, one of the top ornithologists at the aviary came out to tell us how much the garden was appreciated. He said that he would like to see us put in some of the western hummingbird friendly plants to help attract hummingbirds to the are. Does anyone in the forum have any suggestions as to

1. Western Penstemons hardy in the east

Penstemon 2013

Submitted by RickR on Thu, 06/20/2013 - 08:46

--- Penstemon grandiflorus ex. east Minnesota.  With way too much rain this spring, I expected stalks to be growing horizontally, but as it seems, it is not an overabundance that does this, rather, it seems to be over fertization.

Nice strappy-leaved penstemon

Submitted by Broekhuis on Sat, 06/08/2013 - 09:30

Aargh, I can't keep track of the penstemons I grow - especially since more than half of them were grown from mis-identified seed. This nice one is growing in the top section of my rock garden, where according to my records I have placed (at various times) P. procerus, P. neomexicanus, and P. serrulatus. This doesn't appear to be any of those, although P. neomexicanus looks somewhat close (but that one shouldn't be blooming yet, according to the APS site). Any penstemaniacs here with an educated guess as to what I have on my hands?

Penstemon ID 2013

Submitted by Longma on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 08:17

I'm hoping someone can ID this Penstemon sp. for me. It only grows a few inches high and spreads to 18 inches across. I'm unsure which diagnostic features are important in Penstemon, so can show more detail if it will help.

Penstemon from seed

Submitted by deesen on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 12:59

Mark/Lori if you think this would be better on a Seed thread please move it over.

I have the following Penstemon seed from the exchanges:-

berryi
buckleyi
cardwellii
caryi
cobaea
confertus

Any sowing tips would be greatly appreciated.

Penstemon roezlii

Submitted by Weiser on Sun, 12/04/2011 - 10:33

Penstemon roezlii is a small purple /blue Penstemon of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. This little species will take dry conditions in stride and is one of the best filler plants in my dry garden. It seeds around is open in habit and tough as nails. You will find it on dry foothill slopes and high mountain crests. In my experiance it prefers some clay in the grainy soil mixes it grows on.