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Palmer's Penstemon
Scientific Name:
Penstemon palmeri
Type:
Herbaceous Plant
Habitat:
Rocky areas in desert mountains and grasslands at elevations between 3,500 to 6,500 feet.
Range:
Western part of the United States, except for Oregon
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Flower color can range from white to lavender pink. The flower consists of a five-lobed calyx of sepals and is bilaterally symmetrical. The leaves are thick and coarsely toothed, and are arranged opposite each other. The height of the plant can be between 3.5 and 7 ft tall.
Fast Facts:
Palmer’s penstemon was named after the botanist Edward Palmer.
They are useful in controlling erosion and in treating disturbed sites such as after a fire.
These plants thrive in disturbed soils that are well drained. They are also drought tolerant.
Palmer's penstemon are part of the figwort family.
Sources:
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Penstemon palmeri A. Gray Palmer’s Penstemon, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PEPA8
USDA NRCS, Plant Guide, https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_pepa8.pdf
Calscape, Palmer’s Penstemon, https://calscape.org/Penstemon-palmeri-()
Great Basin Seed, Palmer’s Penstemon, 2021, https://greatbasinseeds.com/product/palmers-penstemon/
UNPS, Fact Sheet: Palmer Penstemon, https://www.unps.org/plant%20data%20base/plant%20sheets/penpal.html
DesertUSA, Palmer’s Penstemon, https://www.desertusa.com/flowers/Palmers-penstemon.html
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Penstemon palmeri, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=pepa8
Image: Andrey Zharkikh, https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7265940866/, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped from original.
Image: NMSU IPM, https://www.flickr.com/photos/188684717@N05/50646312706/, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Camille Verendia (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)