Utah Penstemon

Penstemon utahensis

Family: Scrophulariaceae - Figwort Family

Perennial herbs; 3.15” to 2.3' (0.8 to 7 dm) tall

Leaves: opposite and basal; simple; basal leaves 0.8” to 4” (2 to 10 cm) long, 1.6” to 8.8” (4 to 22 cm) wide; upper leaves 0.4” to 3.2” (1 to 8 cm) long, 0.08” to 0.8” (2 to 20 mm) wide

Flowers: 5 united red or deep pink lobed tubular petals (irregular flowers with upper lip 2 lobed, lower lip 3 lobed) with lobes spreading flat at the opening; 5 sepals; often with showy flowers; bilaterally symmetrical; usually bisexual; 4 fertile stamens, a fifth stamen is sterile; flowers 0.64” to 1” (16 to 25 mm) long

Pollinators: hummingbirds; other genera in this family are pollinated by insects (specifically bees, flies, moths and butterflies)

Fruits: 2 chambered capsule (dry fruit)

Blooms in Arches National Park: April, May, June

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities

Location seen: park road mile 11 to12, Delicate Arch Viewpoint trail, Fiery Furnace

Other: The genus name, “Penstemon”, is from the Greek “pen” which means “almost” and “stemon” which means “thread” which refers to the stamens (only 4 of the 5 stamens produce pollen; the fifth stamen is sterile, so it is almost a stamen). The species name, “utahensis”, means “of or from Utah” referring to the origin of the type specimen which was found near Monticello, Utah.

The genus Penstemon is large and complex. The family is important because it has many ornamentals and cardiac glycosides can be derived from foxglove.