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 maybe Margarita BOP or Penstemon heterodoxus. 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 Petunias so don't insult them my treating them like ones.

Pretty Perennial Penstemons

Penstemon heterophyllus subsp. purdyi, Purdy's penstemon - grid24_12
Penstemon heterophyllus purdyii is similar to P. heterophyllus but a little less cold tolerant and needs a little more water.
Mountain Pride growing in granitic rock at 7500 ft. in Sequoia - grid24_12
Penstemon newberryi, 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.
Pincushion Beardtongue, Penstemon procerus brachyanthus, is a wonderful rock garden plant. - grid24_12
Penstemon procerus, Small Penstemon 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.
Penstemon rattanii, Eel River flower - grid24_12
Penstemon rattanii, Eel River Penstemon will grow along the coast! A lot of Penstemons have trouble with the high humidity along the coast.
Annas Hummingbird, Calypte anna, hanging on a wire for Keckiella cordifolia, Heart Leaf Penstemon. This Penstemon likes part shade. - grid24_12
Keckiella cordifolia, Climbing Penstemon 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.
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 is similar to summer Penstemon but it can tolerate colder temperatures. Good hummingbird plant.
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Edited on Oct 27, 2012. Authors:
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