Monday, June 8, 2009

Both Mystery Penstemons now have names!



The Mystery Purple Penstemon I posted about last week now has a name, thanks to Tony
Avent: 'Midnight'. Plant Delights last offered it in 2000, but Annie's Annuals sells it.




Penstemon X from clay and limestone.


Leaves


Compare to Small's Beardtongue


To me the flowers and leaves of Penstemon X and Small's Beardtongue
look pretty different. I think Penstemon X looks more like Penstemon
laevigatus
, which can have lilac-pink as well as white flowers.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Gail informed me that local plant experts believed Penstemon X to be P. calycosus, commonly known as Small Beardtongue. (Not to be confused with Small's Beardtongue, lol.)


20 comments:

  1. I've never grown a penstemon except Husker's Red but they are both beautiful. I expecially like the dark one. Do they have a long bloom time?
    Marnie

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  2. The second one is what I have. I just assume it is a wild snapdragon? Maybe a variant of Penstemon palmeri?

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  3. I really like it. I don't grow any penstemons and I don't know why. They are really nice.

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  4. I think your Penstemons are beautiful but I can't help ya on the name - sorry.
    Do they have a short life? Mine over the years die and I have to start over.

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  5. Gail has a penstemon X too--maybe we can just decide that's it's official name and be done with it! :)

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  6. Marnie, they do have a pretty long bloom time -- at least 3 weeks, I would say.

    Tina, I think P. palmeri is native to the West, and likes really dry conditions, so I don't think it's that one.

    Phillip, there's Penstemons that can easily handle half a day of shade -- Smooth, Small's and 'Midnight'.

    Raingardener, I think longevity depends on the species. Small's is short-lived, but I've had Smooth Beardtongue for 6 years now, and I've read reports of Midnight living for well over 10 years.

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  7. I'm glad you found out the name. I adding that to my list :)

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  8. Wish I could help you out again Sweet bay but nothing is surfacing right now ... will do some research! Very lovely in any case.

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  9. Well you're halfway there.

    I'm growing penstemon this year.

    I've a variety called 'Mrs Hindley' planted under the rose pergola.

    I'm going to take some cuttings as apparently they take quite easily.

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  10. Hi Sweetbay! I sent the photos to my local native gurus and they believe it is P calycosus! It is quite different from Small's penstemon for sure...I love my Penstemon X!

    Gail

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  11. Sweetbay, Try this link. http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/peca7.htm

    Gail

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  12. My dear friend! Isn't blogging the most fun after gardening and aren't blogging friendships the best! gail

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  13. I have trouble remembering the names of things and where I put the tags. I think I have one like the first one, and I should plant a couple more close by.

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  14. Lovely pics! I inheritated quite a few penstemons from the previous owner of our property. I never really appreciated them until recently. Mine are just starting to bloom. -Jackie

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  15. Sue these penstemons came to me as mysteries. :) Although it's amazing about the name tags (shakes head) -- it seems I write dozens, but whenever I go to find the name tag for a plant, it's gone!

    Jackie, I've come to appreciate penstemons a lot more too, especially after realizing different species can grow in many different conditions.

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  16. That one is a beauty for sure. There are SO many penstemons, I definitely am not acquainted with even half of them. I'm glad you think you've figured out the name. I do remember penstemon x from C&L!

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  17. I don't have any penstemons, but I sure would love some. Both those colors are beautiful, but I especially love the deep purple.
    Gail is right...blogging friendships are great! We learn so much from one another.

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  18. I'm so glad you IDed our mystery purple penstemon! I've been buried in Zazzle and haven't read this blog entry until now. Yay!

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