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Royal Penstemon
Penstemon speciosus
  
About Royal Penstemon (Penstemon speciosus) 10 Nurseries Carry This Plant Royal Penstemon is native to the western United States where it can be found in many types of habitat, including plateau and foothill scrub and sub-alpine mountain forests. It is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height near 60 centimeters. The leaves are usually lance-shaped and sometimes folded lengthwise, measuring up to 9 centimeters long. They are arranged oppositely and often clasp the stem at the bases. The showy flower cluster bears tubular flowers with expanded mouths, the largest reaching nearly 4 centimeters in length. The flowers come in many shades of light to deep blue, lavender, and purple, and usually have white throats.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
2 - 2.5 ft tall
2 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender, Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds and various insects

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very 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 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of a variety of soils as long as adequate drainage is provided. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

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

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: 1-2 mos. stratification.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 15, 16

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Sagebrush scrub, sub-alpine mountain forests (fir or pine), primarily inland mountain or foothill areas that experience hot summers and cold winters, such as the Owen's Valley and Modoc Plateau

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.6" - 91.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.40" - 3.86", Coldest Month: 10.6" - 52.4", Hottest Month: 34.0" - 79.2", Humidity: 0.52" - 32.87", Elevation: 1218" - 14090"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Royal Beardtongue, Showy Penstemon


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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