Penstemon speciosus
Royal Penstemon
Showy Penstemon
Sagebrush Penstemon
Plant Family:
Scrophulariaceae
Herbaceous Plant, Perennial
Flower:
Blue
Blooms :
Jun
to:
Aug
Tubular flowers are sky blue reaching 4 cm (1.5 in) long and about 1 cm (0.4
in) wide at the mouth.
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
No
Foliage:
Gray-Green
Deciduous
Leaves are entire and narrow
to 15 cm (6 in) long and 1 to 12 mm (0.04 to 0.5 in) wide, rounded to acute at the tip. The leaves are
mostly sessile with some of the upper leaves clasping
the stem
Oregon Native?
Yes
West State Native?
Yes
Eastern WA to CA, east to ID & northeastern UT
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
Water Needs:
VL
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
No
Firewise?
Yes
Height:
2-2.5'
Spread:
2'
Growth Rate:
Medium
Native Habitat:
Royal penstemon inhabits dry flats, slopes
and draws in the sagebrush-grass, mountain shrub
and juniper forest land communities. Plants typically
occur at low to middle elevations in lowlands and
foothills from 0 to over 10,000 feet.
Soil:
Sandy or rocky soils.
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Medium
Fertilizer:
Mulch:
Long Term:
Winter:
Leave some stems for frost protection and mulch with straw in winter, if necessary.
Spring:
Move in Spring to left of Rice Grass or to Corner by Poker?
Summer:
Fall:
Common Problems
Diseases:
The OSU Plant Clinic has found Phytophthora spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and Fusarium spp. associated with root rots of Penstemon spp. grown in Oregon. (https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=Penstemon-Root+Rot)
Insects:
Impact from insect pests on penstemon seed production can be significant. Penstemon borer larva can infect the crown and upper root area of all Penstemon species resulting in the loss of individual plants to entire fields.
Also called: