Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Kovacs Pal on May 31, 2015, 11:53:32 AM

Title: Penstemons
Post by: Kovacs Pal on May 31, 2015, 11:53:32 AM

I would like to ask the names of the following Penstemons.
Thanks for any help.
Pal

1. (about 10-15 cm)
[attach=1]

[attach=2]

[attach=3]

2. about 30-40 cm

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: Kovacs Pal on May 31, 2015, 11:54:54 AM

3. (about 30-40 cm)

[attach=1]

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: Lori S. on May 31, 2015, 04:50:37 PM

I believe #1 is Penstemon hirsutus, from the pinched-shut mouths of the flowers (the leaves seem to match also).

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: Kovacs Pal on June 02, 2015, 03:37:58 PM

Dear Lori,

Thank you the answer.

Pal

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: penstemon on June 04, 2015, 04:56:27 AM

Yes, no. 1 is hirsutus. Will have to think about the others, though they also look like species from eastern North America.

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: penstemon on June 04, 2015, 11:54:41 PM

I think both No. 2 and No. 3 are Penstemon serrulatus, from western North America. Found west of the Cascade Range.

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: Kovacs Pal on June 05, 2015, 03:59:40 PM

Thank you the answer!
Pal

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: David Nicholson on June 03, 2016, 08:33:46 PM

This was grown from SRGC Exchange seed 12/13-2922 and sown September 2013, labelled Penstemon buckleyi. It's flowering for the first time now and I wonder if anyone could confirm that it is indeed P. buckleyi. I have planted in in quite the wrong place (if it lives it will be moved in Autumn) and is in danger of being swamped by what might be P. newberryi. The second picture is about the best I could get of it's leaf form.

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: Lori S. on June 04, 2016, 05:32:15 AM

Not P. buckleyi.  It's the ubiquitous Penstemon hirsutus!  The majority of misnamed seed-ex penstemons seem to turn out to be this one for some unfathomable reason! 
I'm starting to think they're all from one evil seed donor who is fully aware of what he/she is growing, but at seed labelling time, writes the name of every penstemon species (possibly excluding P. hirsutus) on a slip of paper, throws them all in a hat, and then picks one... and voilà, this year's batch of P. hirsutus seed is now P. buckleyi!   ::)

Title: Re: Penstemons
Post by: David Nicholson on June 04, 2016, 09:31:00 AM

Many thanks Lori, I had a quaking feeling that it wasn't what the tin said ;D  Labels will be changed.