1. * Grinnell’s Penstemon – Penstemon grinnellii vars. grinnellii, scrophularioides
(PEN-ste-mon grin-EL-ee-eye
skrof-yoo-lare-ee-OY-dees)
Family: Veronicaceae/ Plantaginaceae (Veronica/Plantain Family)
Native to: Much of CA W. of Sierras, with var. grinnellii in the San Gabriel Mtns.; dry slopes of
foothill Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
clumping perennial
mature height: 1-2 ft.
mature width: 2-3 ft.
Low, spreading perennial with foliage typical of local penstemons. Leaves are bright green to bluegreen, coarse and mostly at the base. Plants die back after flowing in dry climates.
Growth characteristics:
Blooms spring/summer, usually April-July. Flowers are typical penstemon shape,
but larger (to 1 inch), more open and showy than many species. Ssp. grinnellii is light pink or
lavender with yellow and purple stripes. Ssp. scrophularioides is darker blue-violet. Both produce
many showy flowers on stalks above foliage – truly spectacular in dry gardens.
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: Most effective when massed. You may want to consider a ‘Penstemon bed’ with
native bunchgrasses.
Nice also in rock gardens.
Can be grown in deep pots.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native stalk-flowering perennials.
Attracts: Excellent bird habitat: provides cover and seeds for food. Nectar attracts bees, butterflies
and hummingbirds. Pollinated by large solitary bees (Bumble & Carpenter Bees).
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun.
Sandy or rocky best. Will tolerate clays only if on a slope with no summer water.
Zone 1 or 1-2 (no or very occasional summer water); need summer dry period.
None
Use inorganic mulches like gravel or crushed rock.
Management:
Easy under right conditions; difficult otherwise. Don’t overwater – will kill them.
Propagation: from seed: easy
by cuttings: easy from divisions
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14
1/31/11
* CA native plant but not native to Western L.A. county
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