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**This is the Plant Reference area of the Wild Ginger Farm website. ** 

Not all plants listed on this page are available for sale at this time.

Please visit our mail order catalog to view currently available plants. 

Some plants are availabe exclusively at our retail nursery.

 

Penstemons

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

used in sunny, low water gardens and native gardens.

Many will happily adapt to a wide range of garden conditions.  

© Penstemons in a mixed perennial garden

 

Penstemon abietinus



Penstemon abietinus© Penstemon abietinus foliage

 

Firleaf Penstemon

Decumbent stems with narrow, linear fir-like leaves and upright blue flower spikes. 6 x 20” Sun, very well-drained soil, low water. Hardy to –30 degrees F. Sevier County, UT Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 


 


 

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. 16” x 16".  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 many hummingbirds to our garden

 

 

Another Hummingbird Favorite

Tall spikes to 3' of rather elegant tubular red flowers. The flower stalks remain upright when grown in full sun and bloom over a long period 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 var caespitosus



 

Penstemon caespitosus var caespitosus flower©Penstemon caespitosus var caespitosus

©

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

 

Mat Penstemon

Creeping mats of tiny leaves with small, blue, white-throated flowers tucked among the foliage in spring. 4 x 12”+  Sun to part shade, very well-drained soil, low to moderate water. –30 degrees F.  Scrophulariaceae

 

Grown from seed collected at 9,000 ft in Grand County, Colorado.

 

 

 

 

 


 

Penstemon canescens



Penstemon canescens© Penstemon canescens

 

Penstemon canescens©Penstemon canescens

 

Eastern Gray Penstemon

Upright perennial with spikes of narrow, purplish pink tubular flowers 12-24” tall.  Sun to part shade, 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. A real beauty.

 

 

 


 

 

 

Penstemon eatonii

 

Penstemon eatonii in our garden

© Penstemon eatonii

Firecracker Penstemon

Penstemon eatonii flowers close-up

 

  

 

Firecracker Penstemon

 

Southwest 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 under favorable conditions.   Hardy to –30 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 


 

Penstemon eriantherus (Dwarf Form)

 

 

 

  

 

Fuzzytongue Penstemon

 

Small tufts of gray-green foliage and lilac flower spikes less than 3” tall. Sun, very well-drained soil, low water. –400 F. WY Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 


 

Penstemon eriantherus var redactus

 

 

 

  

 

Longsac Penstemon

 

Showy pale lavender flowers on dwarf plants with gray-green leaves. 16 x 12” Sun, deep, gritty soil, low water. –30 degrees F. ID Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 


 

Penstemon glaber var alpinus

 

 

Penstemon glaber var alpinus

©

Penstemon glaber v alpinus flowers©

Penstemon glaber var 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

Penstemon linarioides 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 linariodes ssp compactifolius

 

 

©©

 

Toadflax Beardtongue

 

A rich flowering plant with blue to lavender flowers similar to spp coloradoensis (above) but with even more compact foliage. Grown from wild seed collected in Coconino County, AZ

 

 



 

 

 

Penstemon pinifolius

 

 

  Hummingbird at Penstemon pinifolius

©Attracts Hummingbirds!

Penstemon pinifolius in rock garden

©

Penstemon pinifolius

Pineneedle Beardtongue

 

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' in rock garden

©

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow'

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' in dry garden

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' in dry garden

 

Pine Needle Penstemon

 

 

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, a more compact form and yellow flowers.

 

 


 

Penstemon purpusii

 

Penstemon purpusii color variations

© Seed raised Penstemon purpusii color variatons

Penstemon purpusii close-up

© The two white lines on the lower lip 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 in garden

Penstemon smallii© Penstemon smallii

 

Small's Penstemon

 

 

Showy lilac flowers with white throats on bushy plant 12-24” tall.  Sun to part shade, well-drained soil, low to moderate 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 18” spikes of blue-violet flowers in summer.  This is a robust long bloomer in our dry garden.  Grow in sun to part shade, very well-drained soil. Hardy to -30 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'

 

 

 

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle' in dry garden

© Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle' in our dry garden

 

Penstemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'©

 

Stiff Penstemon

 

Compact, stalks of tightly packed blue-purple tubular flowers above mats of glossy dark green foliage.  12” x 16” Full sun, well-drained soil.  Hardy to -20 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 


 

 

 

Penstemon whippleanus

 

Penstemon whippleanus flower©

Whipple's Penstemon

Penstemon whippleanus in garden©  Penstemon whippleanus in our garden

 

Whipple’s Penstemon



 

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

 

 


 

Penstemon whippleanus (Dark Flower Population)

 

Penstemon whippleanus dark flower©

Whipple's Penstemon

Penstemon whippleanus©  Penstemon whippleanus

 

Whipple’s Penstemon



 

This is a dark flower population from Mineral County, Colorado described by the seed collector Alan Bradshaw of Alplains as having "very dark purple to black flowers".   It glows with red tones in the sun and appears very dark in low light and shade.  The foliage is a very bright green.  30 x 20" Full to part sun, well-drained soil.   Hardy to -40 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 


 

 

 

Penstemon x mexicali ‘Sunburst Amethyst’

 

 

Penstemon x mexicali 'Sunburst Amethyst'©

Penstemon x mexicali 'Sunburst Amethyst'

 



 

Upright perennial with 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 degrees 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 degrees F. Scrophulariaceae

 

 


 Northwest Native Penstemons

 
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