Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Dry, open sagebrush desert and scablands, low to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Flowers: May-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, wasps, hummingbirds
Plants from a branched, woody base, the several, erect stems 1-4 dm. tall, also with short, densely-leafy sterile stems which tend to form loose mats; herbage finely gray-puberulent, with a few stalked glands in the inflorescence.
Leaves numerous, opposite to alternate, or irregularly scattered, entire, linear, seldom over 3 mm. wide.
Inflorescence of several few-flowered verticillasters; calyx 3.5-8 mm. long, the 5 segments broadly lanceolate, entire; corolla blue-purple or lavender, or occasionally bright rose-purple, 14-22 mm. long, somewhat glandular-hairy externally and internally near the mouth, the tube flared, the limb spreading; pollen sacs glabrous, ovate, 0.8-1.2 mm. long, becoming opposite; staminode bearded toward the tip.
Capsule 6-8 mm. long.
Publication: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 99. 1838.
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var. gairdneri – Gairdner's penstemon
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to southeastern Oregon.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Penstemon gairdneri in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Penstemon gairdneri checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Penstemon gairdneri information.
E-Flora BC: Penstemon gairdneri atlas page.
CalPhotos: Penstemon gairdneri photos.
USDA Plants: Penstemon gairdneri information.
