Penstemon thompsoniae (A.Gray) Rydb.

Scientific Name and Growth Form

Penstemon thompsoniae (A.Gray) Rydb. is a mat-forming perennial herb or subshrub that reaches less than 15 centimeters in height, and grows from a woody base.

Foliage Characteristics

Its foliage is ashy gray-green, covered in a thick coating of hairs. Its leaves are oval or spoon-shaped, and grow up to 2 centimeters long.

Flower Structure and Coloration

The short inflorescence bears wide-mouthed tubular purple flowers that reach 2 centimeters in length; the outer flower surface is glandular hairy, and the inner surface is somewhat hairy. The tip of the staminode is covered in yellow to orange hairs.

Species Distribution

This species is endemic to the southwestern United States, where it occurs in Nevada, southwest Utah, Arizona, and southeastern California.

Habitat and Elevation

It grows in sandy to gravelly soils, in sagebrush shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands, and pine forests, at elevations between 1500 and 3400 meters.

Bloom Period

It typically blooms from May to August.

Conservation Status

Its limited range within California has put it under state conservation concern.

Cultivation

Penstemon thompsoniae is sometimes grown in rock gardens. It is more sensitive to moisture than Penstemon caespitosus, so outside its native habitat it grows best in specialized cultivation settings such as an Alpine house.