Penstemon Gentianoides

Penstemon gentianoides is a tall Mexican beardtongue with upright stems and broad, gentian-like trumpet flowers in deep blue-purple to violet. The pale or white throat is often finely marked, creating a clear nectar guide for visiting bees and hummingbirds. Native to highland forests and open mountain country from Mexico into Central America, it contributed important size and colour to the ancestry of modern border penstemons. In a sheltered garden it provides a long late-summer display, combining the stature of a border perennial with the vivid flower form of a subtropical species.