The Scarlet Bugler penstemon is a herbaceous perennial wildflower native to western California and Baja California. It grows 2-5 feet tall with thick, succulent stems and gray-green to blue-green spoon-shaped leaves. In spring, it produces bright red tubular flowers along wand-like stalks that are extremely showy and attract hummingbirds. It is drought tolerant and thrives in full sun to part shade with little summer water in well-draining soil, making it a good choice for water-wise gardens and containers.

1. Scarlet Bugler – Penstemon centranthifolius
(PEN-ste-mon sen-tran-thi-FO-lee-us )
Family: Veronicaceae/Plantaginaceae (Snapdragon Family)
Native to: Western CA to Baja. Locally in Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains; in many types
of dry habitat from coast to desert, such as chaparral and oak woodland below 6500 feet elevation.
herbaceous perennial
mature height: 2-5 ft. mature width: 2-3 ft.
Herbaceous perennial wildflower with thick, succulent upright stems. Leaves are gray-green to bluegreen, broadly spoon-shaped, sometimes clasped around stem. Nice-looking foliage.
Growth characteristics:
Blooms in spring – April-June. Flowers are bright red to orange-red, narrowly
tubular, arranged along wand-like flowering stalks. Long-blooming and extremely showy – a real
traffic-stopper. Amazing when massed – like a sea of red.
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: Excellent for mid- or back-bed position in water-wise mixed flower beds.
Showy addition to the hummingbird garden. Stunning paired with Salvias. Good for any dry, hardto-water situation. Does well as showy specimen in a large container. Will hybridize with other
local penstemons. Poultice of foliage was applied to skin wounds by native Californians.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native perennials like snapdragons.
Attracts: Excellent hummingbird habitat; also provides seeds for seed-eating birds.
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun to part-shade.
Just about any local soil texture, pH.
Treat as Zone 2 first year; then no/little summer water (Zone 1 or 1-2)
None needed.
Prune back dead stalks in late summer/fall after seeds are collects/scattered. You
may be able to extend bloom season by dead-heading and judicious water. That’s about it!
Management:
Propagation: from seed: stored seed likes cold-moist treatment
by cuttings: semi-soft wood.
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 3, 8, 10-14, 20, 21
5/2/11
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