PENSTEMON. Beard-tongue. Mostly North America, Mexico. A large and fascinating group of perennials and shrubs placed until recently in the snapdragon family, now a subject of hot taxonomic debate. Some grow narrowly erect, others are relatively broad and bushy, while still others are ground-hugging mats. The leaves are also quite variable in size, shape, color and texture. Flowers are usually large relative to the plants and are often presented in dense spikes. They are tubular to bell shaped and brightly colored, usually in shades of red, blue or purple to white. The odd common name comes from the brush of hairs lining one of the stamens in flowers of many species. Sun, well drained soil. Watering requirements vary, though most of our native species are drought tolerant. Hardy to 0^oF. or below, except as noted.

centranthifolius. Scarlet bugler. A common plant of dry places in central and southern California; this material is from the Santa Lucia Mountains. It produces several sturdy, upsweeping stems from a narrow base. Paired along these are broad, tapered leaves up to 4" long, clasping the stems. The leaves are strikingly colored, sometimes ashy grey, sometime bright blue-green. Loosely spaced on long stalks above the foliage are narrowly tubular, bright red blossoms. It needs particularly good drainage and full exposure and is often short-lived in the garden. However, new plants are readily started from seeds. 10^oF. or less.

heterophyllus. A highly variable plant, semishrubby in some forms, herbaceous in others. The plants have attractive narrow, shiny, bluish green leaves sometimes heavily tinged with red. Dense spikes of narrowly bell shaped blossoms, varying in hue from deep blue to reddish purple, grace the plants from late spring to fall. 'Carman's Best' is a more floriferous replacement for the better-known 'Blue Bedder', with bright blue flowers. It was selected by the late Ed Carman. 'Lodoga Strain' is my own wild seed strain with similarly bright flowers on bushy plants up to 2' tall. I am particularly impressed by a recent introduction by the good folks at Las Pilitas Nursery, 'Margarita BOP' (not a reference to a '50s dance, but rather to "back of porch", at Las Pilitas Nursery, where it was discovered as a chance seedling). The plants are quite full, floriferous and resistant to disease. 10^oF. or less.

parvulus 'Siskiyou Beauty'. There was once a time (quite a few years, actually) when I was reckless enough to bring back cuttings of every new penstemon which enchanted me in the California wilds. Soon afterward, I would offer it for sale, usually with some disclaimer like "rock garden conditions", suggesting that it was less than easy to grow. There are few of these beauties left, except in my own rather ragged garden. This is a new selection of an old "friend", often encountered in open, rocky places in the Klamath Mountains. It makes low mounds with attractive grey-green leaves. Elevated above these are clusters of bright blue to violet flowers. This is a particularly floriferous selection, with vivid bluish purple flowers. It is definitely one for the rock garden. Below 0^oF.

rostriflorus (bridgesii). If you have traveled the High Sierra in summer, you have probably seen-and been suitably impressed by-this showy native. It forms broad mounds with upswept slender stems. The leaves are narrow, usually 1-2" long, and pale green to slightly grey-green in color. Slender 1-3' flower stems carry many clusters of bright red to orange-red, trumpet-shaped blossoms, each about an inch long. This is a fine perennial for neglected sunny banks, and hardy to below 0^oF.