Penstemon glaber var. alpinus
A Rocky Mountain native perennial grows 10–80 cm tall with thick green foliage, bearing blue to lavender, hairless tubular flowers in 8–12 crowded unilateral clusters from June to August, with lanceolate basal leaves and linear-lanceolate stem leaves, in gravelly, dry to well-drained soils at foothill to subalpine elevations (5500–11000 ft) across Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and New Mexico.
Common Names
Alpine Sawsepal Penstemon
Summary
Alpine Smooth Penstemon is a drought-tolerant native wildflower and upright perennial with bluish-purple tubular blooms, typically 12–26 inches tall, growing in rocky, sandy, well-drained soils in full sun.
For cultivation, plant in fall or early spring with cold stratification, in USDA zones 3–8, and in rocky, sandy, well-drained soil under full sun; it typically requires 1–2 years to reach maturity.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-2.5 feet
Spread
12 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Dry to average, well-drained, rocky, sandy or gravelly soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Bloom Color
Blue to lavender, bluish-purple, white
Bloom Time
Late Spring to Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
1-2 years to maturity
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds (germination best with cold-moist stratification)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, hummingbirds, and other native pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Variety
- Author
- (Torr.) A.Gray
- Publication
- Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 60 (1862)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Genus
- Penstemon
- Species
- Penstemon glaber
Synonyms
Penstemon oreophilus Chelone alpina Penstemon alpinus Penstemon magnus Penstemon alpinus subsp. magnus