Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: firleaf penstemon

Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain)

Distribution: Utah

Habitat: Pinyon/juniper woodlands, montane meadows

Hardiness: USDA Zone 6 (-10 to 0 °F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: Exotic

Growing Conditions: This mat-forming penstemon grows in mountain meadows of the southern Rocky Mountains and south-central Utah, and is common in piñon-juniper woodlands. Penstemons need dry, gritty, gravelly or sandy well-drained soils. They are easy to grow in New Mexico and failure is almost always due to excessive moisture after flowering. They grow in soil of low organic content and are short-lived in soil that is too rich. Soil must drain quickly so that the plants’ crowns remain dry. Supplemental water in the first year helps them to become established, but they generally do not need to be watered thereafter. Even during droughts, established plants should not be watered more than once weekly. In general, penstemons prefer dry soil in winter and some protection from intense winter sun. Like other xerophytic plants, they often die off after 1-3 years after blooming abundantly. Cutting back plants after flowering may increase longevity. A few stems can be left to promote self-seeding. P. abietinus is a good choice for rock-gardens.

Description: Fir-leafed penstemon grows up to 8 inches tall and forms clumps up to 10 inches wide. The upright or decumbent stems are covered with fine hairs. The leaves are linear and smooth at the tips. The blue flowers are less than ½ inch long and all face the same direction on one side of the stem (are secund). The calyx and corolla are covered with sticky hairs. The corolla has a slightly inflated throat that is flattened and with 2 ridges on the lower side. The upper lobes are joined, arched and projecting, whereas the lower lobes are united and spreading. The staminode is densely bearded across its entire length. The blue-black anthers are widely spreading and completely open with toothed edges.