California Penstemons that can grow in moist areas

Yearly rainfall from 20 to 150 inches

When we say moist, we are referring to rainfall only. This is without any water!!! They cannot tolerate the 500 inches of rainfall most people like to put on their earwig and slug infested perennial gardens. The only Penstemon that can tolerate garden water is Margarita BOP. The rest will just rot off. So, only water them a little to get them established. If you live in dryer parts of California ( Bakersfield, San Diego, Death valley, etc.) and want to plant these, then you can augment your rainfall a little. A Little!!!! Details on how to water California native plants. These are not Geraniums so don't insult them my treating them like ones.

Pretty Perennial Penstemons

Penstemon Margarita BOP

(For all you slug and earwig lovers). Although this plant can tolerate a lot of water, it can also be very drought tolerant. It is neat and compact with lots of flowers. The plant in the photo on the right survived on rainfall alone for 10 or 15 years.

Penstemon azureus, Azure Penstemon

Azure Penstemon grows only a few inches tall and makes a tidy little ground cover. It can tolerate a little garden water. The foliage is slightly blue-gray.

Penstemon davidsonii, Blue Color Mat

Blue color mat reaches only an inch high. It prefers snow cover in winter. It can't take temperatures below -10F without it's insulating snow blanket. This may need a little summer water if it is too far out of its element.

Penstemon heterodoxus, Sierra Penstemon

Sierra Penstemon is an oddity. The flowers are clustered together at the top of each stem. It looks more like a mint, until you look close. It grows only about 2 inches tall, until it flowers, then it reaches about 6 inches tall.

Penstemon heterophyllus purdyii

This Penstemon is similar to P. heterophyllus but a little less cold tolerant and needs a little more water.

Penstemon newberryi, Mountain Pride

Mountain pride is a bright pink Penstemon that grows about a foot tall. It likes a snow blanket in the winter but can survive without one. The leaves are rather fleshy. It needs protection from the heat at lower elevations. So, put it in a little shade if your summer temps get over around 90 degrees F.

Penstemon procerus, Small penstemon

This is another one that looks more like a mint then a Penstemon. It has dainty little blue flowers all clustered at the top of the stem. This Penstemon likes high elevations so watch out for the summer heat and low rainfall.

Penstemon rattanii, Eel River Penstemon

Eel River Penstemon will grow along the coast! A lot of Penstemons have trouble with the high humidity along the coast. This one can tolerate some garden water as it is native in the redwood forest but don't over do it.

Penstemon rydbergii, Meadow Penstemon

Meadow Penstemon can tolerate some moisture. With a little water it can tolerate the interior heat at lower elevations.

Bigger Bush Penstemons

Bush Penstemons were once placed in the same genus as the perennial Penstemon. Now they have decided they are significantly different enough to warrant their own Genus, Keckiella. All of these Keckiella species are shrub-like. They have long arching branches that terminate in large flower clusters. They are all fairly drought tolerant.

Keckiella antirrhinoides,Yellow Bush Snapdragon

Yellow Bush Penstemon has small shiny, dark green, leaves. It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall when it isn't being crowded by neighboring plants. It has survived at the nursery sight on 15 inches of rainfall with a little shade. In full sun it may need a little water if you get this or less in rainfall. It has lots of short fat yellow flowers in late spring.

Keckiella breviflora,

This Keckiella has gray foliage and almost white stems. The flowers are light purple with dark purple stripes. It is happiest in shade. It also has survived on 15 inches of rainfall in our demonstration garden. It does great under oaks.

Keckiella cordifolia, Climbing Penstemon This picture doesn't do the climbing Penstemon justice. It has large heart shaped dark green leaves with large fuchsia like orangish red flowers. It is a hit with the hummingbirds. It grows on the nursery sight on north facing slopes. It doesn't really climb but sometimes it will twist a branch around a neighboring shrub for support.

Keckiella ternata, Summer Bush Penstemon

Summer Bush Penstemon is very similar to Climbing Penstemon. It is a little more shrub like and not so spindly. The leaves are stiffer, narrower, and not so deep green. It seems to do the best in full sun. This Penstemon is very popular with some species of Checkerspot butterfly. (It is probably the Chalcedon Checkerspot as many have been seen around.) In early spring it is usually totally striped of foliage. But metamorphosis occurs early enough so that the plant has time to recover completely before its flowering time. This is also a good hummingbird plant.

Keckiella ternata septentrionalis

This guy is similar to summer Penstemon but it can tolerate colder temperatures. Good hummingbird plant.

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