About Penstemon confertus Douglas
Penstemon confertus Douglas is a yellow-flowered tufted perennial plant that grows from a woody rhizome, reaching heights of 20 to 50 cm. Its basal leaves are smooth (glabrous), have smooth untoothed margins (entire), and range in shape from lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate. Basal leaves grow up to 15 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, with a leaf stalk (petiole) that is roughly one third to one half the total length of the leaf. Paired leaves grow along the flowering stem; these leaves are similar in shape to basal leaves but smaller, and they are sessile, meaning they do not have a petiole. The pale yellow to cream-colored flowers are arranged in 2 to 10 compact horizontal clusters called verticillasters (tiers), each holding many individual flowers. The lowest tier of flowers often sits well below a more tightly packed cluster of upper tiers. Each flower grows up to 12 mm long, with a narrow tube that widens toward the opening, divided into 3 lower lobes and 2 upper lobes. The lower lobe is bearded with short hairs that range in color from white to brown, and the anthers are purple. Penstemon confertus grows mostly east of the Cascade Mountain divide in Washington, northern Oregon, and southern British Columbia, with its range extending east into Idaho, western Montana, and western Alberta. It grows in forest openings and on open slopes, mostly at elevations between 300 and 2400 m.
