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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Penstemon whippleanus (Whipple's penstemon)
Cressler, Alan

Penstemon whippleanus

Penstemon whippleanus A. Gray

Whipple's Penstemon, Whipple's Beardtongue

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: PEWH

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Deep wine-lavender to black-purple bilaterally symmetrical flowers bloom in several clusters in the upper half of leafy stems.

This common mountain Penstemon can ordinarily be recognized by its plump, dark purple, glandular-hairy corollas. However, phases with dingy yellow or white corollas blushed with brown, purple, or blue are frequent.

 

From the Image Gallery

9 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Subshrub
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , ID , MT , NM , UT , WY
Native Distribution: Southern Montana southward through the Rocky Mountain regions to northern Arizona and southern New Mexico.
Native Habitat: In meadows or on wooded slopes, moist areas.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACU FACU FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Tohono Chul Park, Inc. - Tucson, AZ

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Penstemon whippleanus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Penstemon whippleanus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Penstemon whippleanus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-22
Research By: TWC Staff

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