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Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Penstemon strictus

One of the easiest and most reliable penstemons, with spires of deep blue-violet bells over glossy foliage. Tough, long-lived, and a bumblebee magnet for dry gardens.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2.5–2.5 ft

Spacing

1–1.5 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

May, June

Bloom colors

blue, purple

Wildlife value

pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~8 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, erosion control, naturalizing

Native states

AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY