Parry's Penstemon

1

Scientific Name:Penstemon parryi

Common Name: Parry’s Penstemon
Family: Plantaginaceae

Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 3 feet or more under natural conditions, taller when cultivated.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; single or multiple erect stems, plants glabrous and glaucous.
Leaves: Green, pale green; leaves opposite, in pairs, narrowly lanceolate, or arrow-shaped.
Flower Color: Pink; flowers on long spikes along upper stems, flowers tubular or salverform, flowers with short pedicel (stalks), as with many Penstemon flowers this species has bilateral symmetrical flowers.

Flowering Season: March to May.

Comments: Penstemon parryi is native to Arizona but is never common and certainly not observed in large numbers under natural conditions. Additionally, this species is regularly used by government entities in highway and road-way seed mixtures, which likely artificially adds to its overall range.Of all of the Penstemon cultivated for horticultural purposes, at least in central Arizona, Parry's Penstemon is one of the most common. It withstands extreme temperatures, does well with little water, and its seeds are easy to harvest and plant. Both the plants and seeds are commercially available. This attractive spring wildflower does well in xeriscape gardens and is a good choice for a butterfly garden.