Penstemon (nitidus)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Scrophulariaceae
Family Common Name:	Figwort family
Scientific Name:	Penstemon nitidus Dougl. nitidus Dougl. ex Benth.
Common Name:	Shining penstemonÿ
Species Code:	PENNIT
Ecotype:	Open slope adjacent to fescue grassland, Alberta
General Distribution:	P. nitidus occurs from prairies to middle elevations in mountains; from Alberta and Montana west to Lemhi Co., Idaho. It colonizes dry,rocky soils and gravelly road shoulders.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	160 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	10 Months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling.<br> Height: 8 cm, 6 to 10 true leaves.<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected in late August when capsules turn brown and begin to dehisce. Seeds are dark brown at maturity. Capsules are collected in paper bags and are kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are hand cleaned from capsules and screened to reove any chaff. Seed longevity is at least 5 years at 1 to 3 C in sealed containers. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: 4,600,000/kg % Purity: 100% % Germination: 50 to 85%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	6 month outdoor cold, moist stratification. Seeds are sown in the fall and undergo an outdoor cold, moist stratification. No germination was obtained with seeds sown in the greenhouse under warm temperatures above 22C.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct seeding. Seeds are covered with medium or grit. Growing medium used is 70% 6:1:1 milled sphagnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite and 30% coarse sand with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per conetainer. Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification. Seedlings germinate in spring under cool fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached. Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase:	Seeds germinate after snowmelt under cool (4 to 10 C)under fluctuating early spring temperatures. True leaves appeared 3 weeks after germination. Once established and thinned after emergence, the seedlings produce rapid shoot and root development. Plants are root-tight in containers in 9 weeks. This species is susceptible to overwatering. It is important to use a well aerated medium and allow seedlings to dry down between irrigations.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm during the active growth phase. Plants were root tight 4 months following germination.The root system consists of a deep slender taproot with branched secondary roots.ÿPlants did not produce flowers the first year.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	14 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm in fall, pots are flushed with water, and irrigation frequency is gradually reduced in September and October. One final irrigation is applied before covering for the winter.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest: 10 months Harvest Date: July Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow cover.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	P. nitidus grows in well drained or rocky soils that are sparsely vegetated in mid elevation grasslands.It is an excellent species for roadside restoration and frequently colonizes dry open slopes and road shoulders. There are 2 botanical varieties: var. nitidus, and var. polyphyllus.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ. 1993. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, National Park Service and National Resources Conservation Service, April 1996. Flora of Glacier National Park,Lesic, P., at press, 1999.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Penstemon nitidus Dougl. plants 160 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/02/25). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.