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Scarlet Bugler
Penstemon centranthifolius
  
About Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) 44 Nurseries Carry This Plant Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It has many straight, hairless, erect branches which may exceed one meter in maximum height. The thick, untoothed leaves may be up to 10 centimeters long and are arranged oppositely, with some pairs fused together about the stem. The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence bearing narrow tubular flowers with small projecting lobes at the lips, the longest flowers 3 centimeters long. The flowers are bright red to orange-red and hairless all over, including the staminode.This perennial has gorgeous red flowers that are an absolute favorite with hummingbirds and when in bloom these plants are rarely seen without a hummingbird flitting about from blossom to blossom. It looks great in rock gardens and is very cold tolerant.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
2 - 4 ft tall
1 ft wide

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Deciduous

Flower Color
Flower Color
Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
native bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and especially hummingbirds

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
moderately easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates clay. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Many companion plants including: Chamise (Adenostema fasciculatum), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species), Ceanothus species, Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Sugarbush (Rhus ovata), Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus species), Sages (Salvia species), California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum), Yucca (Hesperoyucca and Yucca sp.), succulents such as Dudleya sp., and various cactus species

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Openings in chaparral, slight slopes and flats, open areas in woodlands, seasonally moist meadows up to 6,500 ft.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.4" - 47.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.08", Coldest Month: 32.7" - 60.2", Hottest Month: 60.2" - 87.8", Humidity: 0.78" - 38.88", Elevation: 4" - 8072"


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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