Our penstemons are swinging into full bloom, and providing a nice bit of color to fill in for the departing blue-eyed grass.
Native bees visit the flowers, as do hummingbirds. The plants don’t need much, if any, water – depending on the species they’re bred from. Penstemon spectabilis should thrive with no additional water; Marguerita BOP with very little and ‘Red Riding Hood’ with a bit more water. All this needs to be tested, however. The first two species are native to California; the last is from the Southwest USA so it’s almost native.
All need good drainage, so they’re growing on a mound. Other than that, they don’t need much – no fertilizer, no normally moist soil, no pampering.
The typical garden penstemon, P. gloxinoides, likes regular water and resents being left high and dry. Although it’s an attractive plant and loved by hummingbirds, the idea is to use species that like drier conditions and save water. The more arid adapted species also look more like wildflowers: less voluptuous perhaps but also purer and more interesting.