LITTLECUP PENSTEMON

Penstemon sepalulus

Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae)

This unusual penstemon is found only in the southern Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah, but it has been planted successfully in gardens across the state. A relatively late-flowering species, it is a bushy plant with beautiful, slender, sea-green foliage that contrasts strikingly with the deep lavender flowers. Although a roadcut specialist in nature, it has broad tolerance in terms of soils. It is drought hardy and long-lived in the garden and less prone to disease problems than many other penstemons. Littlecup penstemon looks very handsome interplanted with Bridges, Palmer, and Rocky Mountain penstemon, especially on a rocky hillslope. It also looks good in more formal settings, acting as a foliage plant that can set off earlier and later bloomers when it is not itself in flower.