PENSTEMON. Beard-tongue. Mostly North America, Mexico. A large, interesting group of perennials and shrubs of the Snapdragon family. 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 considerably, though most are drought tolerant. Hardy to 0^oF or below, except as noted.

cobaea. A hardy midwesterner, forming crowns of large, conspicuously toothed, dark green leaves. The flowering stems are leafy and rise to 1-2', each carrying several 2" blossoms. These are broadly bell shaped and spreading at the face. In this Texan strain they combine lavender, pink and cream shades.

glaber. A very hardy penstemon; our material was collected by Steve Bell in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Several low, thick leafy stems radiate from the base. The leaves are stalkless, up to 4" long and bright blue-green in color. At their tips are generous one-sided clusters of large true-blue flowers with lighter tubes. This is one of the easiest of the dryland penstemons to grow, and hardy to far below 0^oF.