Rock Penstemon
Penstemon baccharifolius, Snapdragon or Figwort Family: ( Scrophulariaceae ), Rock Penstemon. Also called: Baccharis - Leaf Beardtongue, Shrubby Penstemon, Del Rio, Baccharisleaf Beardtongue.
A low evergreen shrub, or herbaceous perennial. Provides a good supply of nectar that hummingbirds love to feed upon.
Rock penstemon can survive cold winter nights that go as low as 10 Fahrenheit. Full sun to partial shade is best for growing this plant. It does well in well drained soils.
Height: About 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet wide.
Flowers: The flower is scarlet red, tubular corolla; the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower lip 3-cleft. , funnel-shaped, with short round lobes. The corolla is about 3/4 inch long, glandular and hairy on the outside. It has a broad upper corolla with a 2 - lobed lip, bent upward. The lower corolla lip is 3 - lobed and bent downward. There are 5 stamens, the fifth is sterile but bearded at the tip.
Stalk: Inflorescence glandular - pubescent.
Blooming Time: February - May.
Leaves: Green to blue - green, fleshy, about 2 - 5 inches long, lanceolate, without stalks, smooth, those at the midstem are broadest at the base. Opposite, leaf margin minutely toothed at tips, leaves sessile.
Found: Found throughout lower elevations in Arizona.
Elevation: 800 - 5,000 Feet.
Habitat: Chalky/alkaline, Dry, Sandy, Well-drained/light soils. An ideal landscape plant in Arizona.
Miscellaneous: Photos Taken May 12, 2008. Peoria, Arizona Xeriscape Demonstration Garden.
