Small-Flowered Penstemon (Penstemon procerus)

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Penstemon
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 0.4 m
Spread: 0.2 m
Flower type: hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

A tea-like beverage is made by boiling the dried leaves and stems^[3].

Product or use: Tea

Environment

Range: North-western N. America - Alaska to Oregon, east to Wyoming and Colorado.
Habitat: Dry plains, prairies and open or wooded slopes at low to fairly high elevations^[6].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Hardiness: Zone 3+
Soil textures: sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse^[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. Alternatively, the seed can be sown in early summer in a greenhouse, the seedlings overwintered in the greenhouse and then planted out in the following spring^[1]. Division in autumn^[2]. Cuttings can be taken throughout the growing season, though August/September is best^[1].

Cultivation

Succeeds in ordinary rich garden soils so long as they are well-drained^[1]. Succeeds in dry soils. Prefers a position in full sun^[4]. Although very cold hardy, this species does not like winter wet and therefore is best given some protection in the winter or a position such as at the foot of a dry wall^[5].

Penstemon acuminatusSand-Dune Penstemon
Penstemon confertusYellow Penstemon
Penstemon grandiflorusLarge Beard Tongue
Agalinis tenuifoliaSlenderleaf False Foxglove

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00
↩
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
↩
Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
↩
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩
Livingstone. B. Flora of Canada National Museums of Canada 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-660-00025-3
↩