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Penstemon barbatus

Beardlip Beardtongue · Beardlip Penstemon

Family PlantaginaceaeGenus Penstemon

Narrow scarlet tubular flowers with yellow-green throats, hanging from thin branching stems above rock.
FlowerBettina ArrigoniCC BY 2.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Scarlet, orange-red, crimsonWikipedia
Native range
Arizona, California, Colorado, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • It flowers in late summer, as rufous hummingbirds migrate south, and they use its flowers as "filling stations" on the way. In Spanish-speaking New Mexico and southern Colorado it is called varita de San José, St. Joseph's staff. Wikipedia: Penstemon barbatus

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 31, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 5 days to germinate.

100% germination in 3–5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Penstemon p. 187Public domain
Show the original text
Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae). Four types of germination were observed. Most Rocky Mountain species of a perennial nature germ. largely at 40 and often sowing at 70 was fatal or near fatal. A second group are short lived species that can flower the first year from seed typified by P. barbatus, germ. 70D or 70L(100% in 3-5 d) and 40(90% in 3rd w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Penstemon p. 187. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 21 days.

90% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Penstemon p. 187Public domain
Show the original text
Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae). Four types of germination were observed. Most Rocky Mountain species of a perennial nature germ. largely at 40 and often sowing at 70 was fatal or near fatal. A second group are short lived species that can flower the first year from seed typified by P. barbatus, germ. 70D or 70L(100% in 3-5 d) and 40(90% in 3rd w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Penstemon p. 187. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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