Showy Penstemon
Penstemon spectabilis
The flowers undergo a subtle color shift from blue to magenta after pollination, signaling to bees that the nectar cup is empty.
- Scientific name
- Penstemon spectabilis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Plantaginaceae › Penstemon
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Chaparral, coastal sage scrub, dry hillsides, and oak woodlands
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Southern California, USA, Baja California, Mexico
- Size
- 1.0 - 1.8 meters tall
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss from urban development, altered wildfire regimes, and displacement by invasive weeds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach. Enjoy photographing its vibrant purple blooms from a safe distance without trampling the surrounding native vegetation. Do not ingest any part of the plant, as some penstemons can accumulate selenium from the soil.
Penstemon spectabilis is a species of penstemon known by the common name showy penstemon . It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral, scrub, and woodlands of the coastal mountain ranges.
Photo: Millie Basden, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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