WHIPPLE PENSTEMON

Penstemon whippleanus

A plant of the high mountains, Whipple penstemon is found at the edges of spruce-fir forests and in dry subalpine meadows on rocky soils. Its tubular, deep purple flowers are quite different from other penstemon flowers. It is a delicate plant with slender, bright green leaves and an almost orchidlike appearance in flower. It is best used in mass plantings in light shade, with slender companion plants like mountain puccoon, that will not overwhelm its rather slight form. Whipple penstemon occurs in several flower color forms, from the typical kool-aid purple through red-violet to dusty rose and even almost white. In the mountains, it does not flower until midsummer, but in a garden at lower elevation it will flower much earlier. Whipple penstemon does best with occasional summer watering in a well-drained soil.