Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: Palmer's penstemon

Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain)

Distribution: Southwestern United States

Habitat: Pinyon/juniper woodlands, sagebrush flats

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5 (-20 to -10 °F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: New Mexico native plant

Growing Conditions: P. palmeri is widely distributed among sagebrush and piñon-junipers from northern Arizona to California, Utah and Nevada. This species has a long taproot and thrives without care in its native range. It has naturalized as far north as Idaho, where it is very hardy if grown without irrigation. It grows in scattered areas along New Mexico roads, where it is often included in Department of Transportation seed mixes. 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, they 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.