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Penstemon teucrioides
Penstemon teucrioides, commonly known as grayleaf creeping penstemon, germander penstemon and germander beardtounge, is a perennial species of plant in the large and colorful Penstemon genus. It is a ground hugging plant that is native to just five counties in the mountains of Colorado. Though it has a very limited range it is widely grown in rock gardens.
Though its range is restricted, grayleaf creeping penstemon is much more widely cultivated in North America and in the United Kingdom. It is noted as being more vigorous in cultivation than the closely related mat penstemon or Thompson's beardtongue by the penstemon experts David Way and Peter James. As is typical of penstemons, they require well drained soil and prefer sand or small rock chips, but are not particular about soil pH. They are typically grown in rock gardens or troughs due to their very short height. The seeds take about eight weeks to germinate. The seeds have relatively low germination rates, only 20% after 30 days at 21°C and also 20% in six days when planted at 4.5°C and then raised to 21°C. It is winter hardy in USDA zones 4–8.
Penstemon teucrioides is found in central and southern mountains of Colorado. It is endemic to the state of Colorado and has been found in just five counties, Park, Chaffee, Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Saguache. A reported collection of the species from Rio Arriba County, New Mexico in 1915 is generally regarded as an error. Its range is estimated to be 56,430 square kilometers (21,790 sq mi) with somewhere between 21 and 80 local populations.
Firleaf beardtongue · Stemless beardtongue · Sharpleaf penstemon · Los Alamos beardtongue · Alberta beardtongue · White penstemon · White River Beardtongue · Whitemargin beardtongue · Gilia beardtongue · Penstemon angelicus · Siskiyou beardtongue · Broadbeard beardtongue
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Penstemon teucrioides by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
