Oxalis oregana ‘Klamath Ruby’
Low spreading groundcover which thrives in the shady conditions of Douglas fir and redwood forests. The cultivar ‘Klamath Ruby’ offers dark green clover-like foliage with beautiful burgundy backed leaves. White flowers with pale pink veining on the petals bloom in the spring. A lovely groundcover for a shady garden with some summer water, though it is drought tolerant in coastal zones, once established. Deer resistant.
Oxalis oregana ‘Smith River White’
This Cal Flora selection carries white flowers with thin pink lines on the petals held up above the foliage, thus creating an effect somewhat reminiscent of our small native anemones. The foliage is handsome with dark olive green tops and purple-red undersides to the leaves. The perfect ground cover for deep to moderate shade with some summer moisture. Drought tolerant when grown in more coastal areas. Rampant when its needs are met, it competes well with tree roots and is the perfect companion to other redwood forest understory plants. Deer resistant.
Penstemon ‘Catherine de la Mare’
Beautiful electric blue tubular flowers blush purple as they age. Low (12 -18 inches tall) plant with a loose, open habit. Blooming begins in May and continues for a month or two. An easy and hardy penstemon requiring moderate water and sun to light shade. Wonderful for the front of borders. Adored by hummingbirds and bees.
Penstemon azureus
Native to the mountains of California and Oregon where it grows in woodland and chaparral plant communities. Forms a tidy mound of bluish-green leaves 1-2 ft. tall and wide with bright blue tubular flowers late spring into summer. Requires good drainage and sun to light shade. This species is drought tolerant but prefers occasional summer water and is more garden tolerant than most native Penstemons. Attractive to bees and hummingbirds.
Penstemon barbatus
Native to sunny, hot, rocky slopes from Utah and Colorado to Texas and Mexico, this striking penstemon is a willing grower. Forms a low mound of lush foliage, topped with 4 ft. tall, erect flower spikes of brilliant, scarlet, tubular blossoms, providing a bold splash of color in beds, borders, rock garden or meadow planting. Plant in full sun with good drainage where it will be drought tolerant once established. Flowers adored by hummingbirds and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Penstemon barbatus ‘Coral Baby’
This dazzling selection of Penstemon is from the Plant Select program of Colorado. Forms a tidy, compact mound of bright green foliage to around 15 inches tall by 12 inches or so wide. Late spring brings upright spikes of eye catching coral-pink tubular flowers which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Full sun with good drainage and moderate to occasional summer water.
Penstemon barbatus ‘Riding Hood Red’
Trumpet-shaped blossoms of coral-red arise on thick stems up to 2 ft. high on this Dutch selection of the beardlip penstemon. Originating from the American Southwest, this superlative species offers flowers from late spring to the end of summer, enticing hummingbirds, bees and butterflies into the garden. Light green, lanceolate leaves grow densely at the base and climb up the stout stalks. This selection has proven to be very garden tolerant, liking full sun and moderate to infrequent irrigation.
Penstemon centranthifolius
Custom made for hummingbirds, this Penstemon sports an abundance of bright-red to orange-red tubular flowers from late spring into summer. Native to dry habitats in the North Coast Ranges south to Mexico and east to the Southern Sierra, growing in chaparral and openings in woodlands below 6000 ft. Thick, blue-green leaves form a rosette 1 – 2 ft. tall and wide. Long flower spikes rise 2 – 4 ft. above the waxy leaves with many narrow, tubular, scarlet blossoms. Likes full sun, lean soils and good drainage. Drought and cold tolerant. Hummingbird and butterfly favorite.
Penstemon eatonii
Adaptable and beautiful perennial native to the western United States including southeastern California. Narrow, leathery leaves form an evergreen rosette of foliage. Flower stalks rise 2-3 ft above the foliage. This form has brilliant red tubular flowers lining the erect stems in early summer. Requires good drainage, full sun to light shade and occasional to little summer water. Tolerates winter cold to 18 degrees and drought once established. Hummingbird favorite.
Penstemon fruticosus
Blue-purple, trumpet-shaped flowers with curvy, flared lips cover this diminutive mountain species with a showy display in spring or early summer. Truly a delightful and easy to grow mountain penstemon, only reaching about 12 inches high and spreading to about 1.5 ft, covered in dense, narrow leaves. Perfect for a container or in a rock garden with good drainage. Enjoys full sun to light shade and occasional to infrequent irrigation. Native to the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies, almost making it into California. A favorite of hummingbirds and enjoyed by bees.
Penstemon heterophyllus
Iridescent blue-purple tubular flowers in short spikes put on a good show over a long period in spring and early summer. The spent flower spikes should be cut off to encourage more blooming, better form, and longer life. Best in full sun with well drained soils and moderate to little water once established. Hummingbird favorite.
Penstemon heterophyllus – Hood Mt. seed strain
From the rugged Hood Mountain area, southeast of Santa Rosa, comes this local seed strain of foothill penstemon, which is showing promise as a particularly good performer. Proving to be vigorous and disease resistant, blooming freely with particularly large, vivid-blue, open-mouthed, tubular blossoms, spring into summer. An evergreen perennial, growing about 2 ft. tall and at least as wide, for full sun with decent drainage, and little water once established. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are all attracted to the showy flowers. A great, local, seed grown alternative to the cutting-grown 'Margarita BOP'.
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Blue Springs’
A seed strain of a highly variable native penstemon. Attractive narrow, shiny, bluish-green leaves topped with dense spikes of narrow bell-shaped blossoms of bright blue. Flowers late spring to early summer, growing to around 1 to 1 1/2 ft. tall and wide. The spent flower spikes should be cut off to encourage more blooming, better form, and longer life. Best in full sun with good drainage and moderate to little summer water.
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘GMR White’
An unusual, bright white form of our native foothill penstemon that dazzles with dense blooms from spring to fall. Spring sees the emergence of soft yellow buds on this evergreen perennial, which then open as snowy fresh, tubular flowers. The showy flower stalks reach 18 inches to 2 feet and look spectacular cascading out of a container. A natural selection, its name is an abbreviation of Glendora Mountain Road, the area just north of Los Angeles where it was found. As beloved by hummingbirds and pollinators as the more common blue-violet form of this species and even more shockingly floriferous. Plant in full sun to very light shade where it will have good drainage, and provide occasional to no water. Thrives in large pots. Drought tolerant.
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’
A fine selection of a native penstemon from Las Pilitas Nursery where this chance hybrid seedling was discovered at the “Bottom Of the Porch”. Forms a tidy mound 18 inches tall by 2 ft. or so wide. Iridescent blue-purple tubular flowers in short spikes put on a good show over a long period in spring and early summer. The spent flower spikes should be cut off to encourage more blooming, better form, and longer life. Best in full sun with well drained soils and moderate to little water once established. 'Margarita BOP' has proven particularly adaptable and has survived longer than other cultivars. Hummingbird favorite.
Penstemon newberryi
As the common name implies, this beauty is native to the mountains of California, Oregon and Nevada, where it grows in rocky habitats at high elevations. Forms an evergreen mat, under a foot tall with thick, leathery leaves and gorgeous magenta-pink tubular flowers, in mid to late spring. Good drainage is a must for success and growing in a container is an option for those with heavy soils. Full sun to very light shade with occasional summer waterings. Can be challenging to cultivate, but well worth the extra effort. The showy flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Said to be deer resistant.
Penstemon newberryi v. sonomensis
This rare, perennial, inland beauty, found only in Sonoma, Napa, and Lake Counties, is a great addition to the dry, inland rock garden. A low mat of small, gray-green, succulent-like leaves gives rise to 5-12” stalks topped with clusters of chunky, tubular, magenta-red flowers with white, fuzzy throats and reproductive structures. Mature plants are no more than 2' wide. A native bee and hummingbird magnet. Plant in full sun with decent soil drainage. Little to no water once established.
Penstemon palmeri
Showy, grape-scented, pale pink flowers top blue-green, succulent-like foliage on vertical stalks reaching an astonishing 4 to 5 ft. in height. The bulbous flowers have given rise to the common name, ballon flower. Native to desert mountains of southern California and throughout the western United States. This penstemon is attractive to a multitude of pollinators, especially hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade and provide good drainage. Drought tolerant once established. The tall but narrow flower stalks make this penstemon useful in narrow spaces where height is desired.
Penstemon parryi
An adaptable species from the desert southwest of the United States. Thick bluish-green foliage forms a low rosette around 2 feet wide. Bright pink funnel-shaped flowers are produced in profusion on stems 2-3 ft. tall in spring. Good drainage and full sun with moderate to little water once established. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Penstemon pseudospectabilis
From the southeast corner of the state comes this surprisingly adaptable penstemon, with prolific displays of magenta-purple, tubular flowers with flared mouths. Large, serrated, gray-green leaves line stems in attractive pairs. Flower stalks rise 2 – 3 ft. in spring, drawing in hummingbirds and bees. Even though this species is from the desert, it does quite well in local gardens with good drainage, full sun and occasional irrigation once established. Several local butterflies use the desert penstemon as a larval food source, including the common buckeye, variable checkerspot and Edith’s checkerspot.
Penstemon rostriflorus
A wonderful addition to the dry garden, bringing late summer color through abundant, bright red, tubular flowers. Growing 2 - 4 feet tall and wide, with attractive, glossy foliage, that takes on red and bronze tones in winter. A late blooming Penstemon, beginning in July, provides copious nectar for hummingbirds as well as bees, butterflies, and moths. Tolerant of wide range of soils and conditions, plant in full sun to light shade with occasional water. Drought tolerant once established.
Penstemon speciosus
Found in higher elevation localities of inland Northern California, royal penstemon is a vibrantly colorful addition to the dry, full sun garden. In summer, the large, saturated blue-purple florets are held in clusters on stems rising almost 2’ tall above a low, evergreen rosette of glossy, strap-like foliage, reaching 1' - 2' wide. Attracts a multitude of pollinators. Does best with decent soil drainage, and inland sites that provide seasonality—colder winters, and hotter summers. Drought-tolerant once established.
Penstemon spectabilis
A spectacular Penstemon native to dry, gravelly slopes of southern California and northern Baja. Demanding good drainage and full sun, this perennial grows 3 ft. or more tall with striking displays of lavender-purple tubular flowers. A challenging species with a sensational floral display, but can be short lived in northern California. Performs best in hot inland gardens. Take care not to over water. Highly attractive to hummingbirds as well as bees and butterflies.
Penstemon strictus
Showy perennial, native to a number of states in the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in sage brush and coniferous forest communities. Forming clumps of neat evergreen foliage 8 - 10 inches tall by 36 inches wide. Mid to late spring brings flowering stems 2 foot or so above the foliage with deep blue-purple tubular flowers. Considered one of the easier to grow, tolerating heavier soil and moisture better than many Penstemon species. Still, good drainage is best with little summer water once established. Plant in full sun to light shade in hot regions. Very cold tolerant. Penstemons are attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Penstemon venustus
This jewel of the mountains displays richly toned, trumpet-shaped flowers of blue to lavender held on stalks reaching 1 – 3 ft. tall. Dark green, serrated leaves form a low mound up to 2ft. wide over time. Hummingbirds love the tubular flowers as do bees. Plant in full sun with excellent drainage and water infrequently. While native to much of the West, this penstemon doesn’t quite make it into California.
Phacelia bolanderi
Easy to grow perennial for part shade and a little summer water. Native to slopes and canyons of coastal forests in northern California. Forms low mounds of soft foliage 6 - 8 inches tall by 2 ft. or so wide. Pretty powder blue-purple one inch flowers late spring into summer offer nectar to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The seeds are enjoyed by songbirds. Though somewhat short-lived, it often reseeds. Appears to be deer resistant.
Phacelia californica
A low elevation species inhabiting bluffs, open slopes, road cuts and canyons of our inner and outer Coast Ranges down through the central coast. Forms perennial clumps of crinkled gray leaves. Stout stems rise above the rosette one foot to 18 inches tall with large coils of lavender flowers. Excellent rock garden subject. Plant in sunny areas with good drainage where it will be drought tolerant, and will do fine with a little summer water. Phacelias are great for attracting bees and butterflies.
Phacelia tanacetifolia
A robust ANNUAL increasingly used in agriculture as a pollinator attracting cover crop. This native covers the ground and flowers abundantly producing high quality pollen and nectar which is highly attractive to bees and beneficial insects. Fast growing frilly foliage grows 2-4 ft. tall and wide topped with clusters of small lavender-blue cup shaped flowers. Sun to light shade, decent drainage and drought tolerant. Occasional water during flowering will keep it going longer.
