Palmer’s Beardstongue
2-5’ tall x 1-2’wide, Full Sun
Hardy to 6500’
Deer-resistant
Stop the car! What’s that mass of pink soaring above the roadside slopes? The largest of the hardy Penstemons, both in plant size and flower size, Palmer’s is a magnificent plant with a commanding presence. Above the substantial and attractive serrated, fleshy gray, evergreen leaves, towering flower spikes from 2 to 5’ tall display large, wide-mouthed light pink flowers marked with darker veins, and exuding a sweet fragrance.
These are specifically adapted to accommodate larger pollinators, particularly bumblebees, carpenter bees and hummingbirds. Butterflies and moths also visit them. Native to dry washes, sandy plains, and canyon slopes of the Intermountain West and Southwest, including Colorado and Wyoming, Palmer’s Penstemon colonizes open, well-drained soils from desert foothills to about 6,500 feet elevation. Adaptation
to poor, gravelly soils and periodic drought makes it a perfect choice for xeriscape and low-water gardens. Widely adapted and requiring minimal care, it will thrive and naturalize from seed, and can form impressive colonies.