Yellow Penstemon

Penstemon confertus

Yellow Penstemon

Doug Brown (iNaturalist user name dougbrown)

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Plantaginaceae
Genus:
Penstemon
Species:
Penstemon confertus

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb , Subshrub
Height:
2-3 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
jul
Bloom Colors:
Yellow

Native Range

United States: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Pyramidobela quinquecristata, Syngrapha hochenwarthi

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus), Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
well-drained, sandy or rocky soil
pH:
6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
prefers open, sunny locations

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: 90 to 120 day cold, moist stratification. Seeds can lose dormancy after 2.5 years of storage in cold, dry conditions at 40°F and 40% relative humidity.

Establishment: Seeds are collected in late summer when capsules turn brown and begin to dehisce. Germination can occur after a second winter. Surface sowing the seed to expose it to light did not increase the germination rate.

Source: npn.rngr.net