Keckiella cordifolia - orange-flowered form

Climbing penstemon is a striking flowering shrub with an open-arching form, and profuse penstemon-like blooms that are adored by hummingbirds. In this sunny selection, the bright, pollinator-attracting blossoms are a lighter, yellow-orange 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 stay 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 with coastal sun, but part shade in inland heat. Moderate to little summer water. An excellent deer-resistant habitat plant.