General

Perennial forb or subshrub that produces erect stems, 2–12 inches in height.

Leaves

Oval to lance-shaped. Dense basal leaves have short petioles while stem leaves are clasping.

Flowers

Blue-purple petals are fused to form a tube, one-quarter to one-half inch long. Flowers are arranged in clusters on top of stems. The plants are sometimes called “beard-tongues” due to hairy “throats” and “lower lips” of the flowers.

Bloom

June to August.

Ecology

Found in dry, sandy banks, gravelly ridges, open rocky slopes, grassy hillsides, dry meadows and open woods. Fairly common at middle to high elevations.

Pollinators

Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. This species attracts many bumble bee and mason bee species including the Penstemon specialist, Osmia brevis, widely documented in Oregon by Oregon Bee Atlas participants.

References

• Penstemon procerus in the USDA Plant Database
• Penstemon procerus in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant database
• Plants for Pollinators in Oregon (USDA)
• California Native Plant Society small-flowered penstemon plant profile
• Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. 2004. (Rev. Edition). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, British Columbia.