Keckiella cordifolia - orange-flowered form

Climbing penstemon is a striking-looking shrub with an open-arching form and profuse penstemon-like blooms adored by hummingbirds. In this sunny selection, the bright, pollinator-attracting blossoms are a lighter, yellow-orange color, rather than the more typical scarlet. Slender branches of heart-shaped leaves, laden from late spring into summer with tubular flowers, naturally reach vine-like over nearby shrubs, cascade down slopes, or sprawl between rocks. Can be pruned to 3 feet or so, or allowed to climb and spread more than 6 ft.. Native to coastal Southern California, it is semi-evergreen in mild climates, but deciduous inland with winter cold or summer drought. Requires good drainage and moderate to little summer water. Does well in full sun near the coast, but needs part shade in inland heat. An excellent deer-resistant habitat plant.