Rydberg Penstemon

Left image
Close up of blue Rydberg Penstemon Flower and a bumblebee.

Right image
Meadow of purple/blue Rydeberg Penstemon flowers.

Rydberg Penstemon - Penstemon rydbergii

This is a common Penstemon found at Cedar Breaks. It grows in similar habitats to the Markagunt Penstemon and is similar in color. It can be distinguished by having its smaller flowers clustered into a head instead of being spread out along the stalk.

The major pollinators of a given flower can often be predicted from the flower’s characteristics. While birds see red very well and are often pollinate red flowers, sweetsmelling blue flowers are often pollinated by bees. Many flowers are pollinated by a variety of species so one must always be careful when making generalizations.

The genus Penstemon is one of the largest in the United States. Close to one hundred different species of Penstemon are found in Utah alone.