(Penstemon palmeri)

We asked some of our plant enthusiast friends to describe Palmer’s penstemon in one word, and their responses confirmed our suspicion that Palmer’s is the Celine Dion of penstemons: Colossal, sirenic, statuesque, majestic, flamboyant, perfumed, whimsical, and flashy.

Palmer’s is much taller than most penstemon species, often reaching 4-5’, and is unique in that it is extremely fragrant. There were so many summer evenings where I should have been weeding, but instead sat in our penstemon patch taking photos of native bees, and basking in the beautiful cotton-candy scent. The plants are evergreen, and winter often brings out a beautiful pinkish-purple color in the stems that is a beautiful contrast to the blue-green leaves. The flowers are voluptuous bumble-bee enveloping blooms in gentle pink with magenta streams cascading from the floral tube onto the lower lip.

This species is native to the arid West, and prefers well draining soils. It will suffer if you over-water or provide too much fertilizer. They are short-lived perennials that are great at self-seeding. Rake seeds into soil from autumn through winter to allow the seeds to get cold stratification before spring. Some individuals will bloom the first year, but the majority will bloom in their second year.

Packet: 400