Penstemon?

[Anonymous]

Hello All!

While doing some weeding around my avocado trees today, I noticed something growing in a somewhatinaccessable area among the large boulders on the east side of the property.

Lo and behold! it was a penstemon. Currently, it's about 1 meter tall and as wide. The leaves are somewhatsticky; the flowers are salmon-colored. The flowershave two large 'ears' and three small 'tongue's'on the bottom looking at the flower face on.

I can't find a reference in Marjorie Schmidt'sbook and although Western Garden list many, nonerefer to the salmon color that I have here infront of me. I've taken many cuttings look forwardto some nice plants for my other hummer garden!

Many thanks for taking the time to respond!

Alain

[Anonymous]

Alain -

Hellow again -

Penstemons are keyed out by their reproductive parts - they have very distinctive anthers. Here are some organizations you can contact:http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~awolfe/Penstemon/Penstemon.html

American Penstemon Society 1569 South Holland Court Lakewood, CO 80226

Unfortunately, the American Penstemon Society doesn't seem to have a website. There is probably lots of information on the Net about Penstemons if you look. I used to have a booklet with a visual key to the Penstemons. Remember, though, that your spontaneous plant may be a hybrid. Anyway, I hope you will try to key it out - it's fun!

Cheers,

Lori</p>

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help, Lori. I'll search around, dosome further research and let you all know what Idiscover.

Merci encore!

Alain</p>

[Anonymous]

In researching hummingbird plants suitable for a demonstration garden at Audubon's Kern River Preserve in Weldon, CA had to get in that plug, I noticed an excellent recent penstemon book at the bookstores in Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont, and at Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley. Both bookstores were very helpful to me, and could furnish the author's name and the full title of the book, which you may be able to find via inter-library loan, or buy thru Barnes & Noble's site. This author is a well-regarded expert, and the book looked marvelous.

If I can recognize the book on B&N's site, I will contact you again with full details, sparing you toll calls to the above resources.

I am curious: have you ID'd your penstemon yet? Even if you have, I still want you to know about this book.

Write back and let me know where you live where the plant grows wild, in case I can include this variety in our demonstration garden.</p>

[Anonymous]

Here are details on the great penstemon book:

Penstemons / Robert Nold,Cindy Nelson-Nold Illustrator / Hardcover / Timber Press, Incorporated OR / September 1999Barnes & Noble Price: $29.95

B&N's site show another book, published in 1998., which I have not seen and cannot advise you on, but it may be equally good. It's equally expensive - also $29.95.

Maybe you can get these via interlibrary loan, or borrow from a CNPS member. </p>