Penstemon richardsonii
This summer blooming wildflower is a hummingbird magnet, provides vivid rosy-purple color to native habitat gardens, and is an important nectar and foraging source for pollinators. The foliage is dusty green and at times even reddish, with deeply-toothed margins, forming dense, almost shrub-like mounds over time.
- Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous perennial herbaceous plant (can become woody/shrub-like over time)
- Size at maturity: 8"-32" tall
- Light requirements: full sun, part sun / part shade
- Moisture requirements: dry to moist soil
- Bloom time: May to August
- Growth rate/ease: moderate growth rate, easy to grow
- Wildlife support: flowers attract and provide nectar for hummingbirds, adult butterflies, bees, other native insect pollinators, beneficial insects, and other pest eating insects; overall plant/vegetation is a caterpillar host plant and larval food source
- Native habitat/range: Locally common in shrub-steppe, dry rocky sites in central Washington and north-central Oregon. Portland Plant List - yes.
- Special features & uses: pollinator and hummingbird favorite, drought tolerant,
Gardening with Richardson’s Penstemon: This carefree perennial prefers sunny, dry, well-drained habitats, like a dry meadowscape, rock graden or pollinator garden. It looks especially gorgeous cascading over rock walls, retaining walls, rock features and garden edges.
Photo Credits: "Penstemon richardsonii" by peganum is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0