Penstemon (confertus)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Scrophulariaceae
Family Common Name:	Figwort
Scientific Name:	Penstemon confertus Dougl. ex Lindl.
Common Name:	Yellow penstemon, Yellow beard-tongue
Species Code:	PECO6
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, WA.
General Distribution:	Native to open grasslands and open forests east of the Cascades Mountains from southern British Columbia to Oregon and east to western Montana. Usually found where mean annual precipitation exceeds 15 inches (USDA, NRCS 2008).
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is a capsule. Seed is brown in color. Seed is collected when the capsules begin to split in August and is stored in paper bags or envelopes at room temperature until cleaned. Plants hold their seed well after the capsules begin to split if winds are not excessive. We determined 4,628,000 seeds/lb for this ecotype.
Propagule Processing:	Small amounts are rubbed to free the seed from the capsules, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are threshed with a hammermill, then cleaned with air screen equipment. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	90 days cool, moist stratification resulted in 83% germination. Only 14% of the seed germinated without pretreatment and 19% germinated after 30 days cool, moist stratification. Some seed germinated after a second winter. Surface sowing the seed to expose it to light did not increase the germination rate. Allen & Meyer (1990) found seed of some penstemon species lost dormancy after 2.5 years of storage. Unpublished data from trials at the Pullman PMC confirmed this for P. confertus. After 4 years in cold, dry storage at 40oF and 40% relative humidity, the same lot of seed exhibited 65% germination without pretreatment.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In October seed is sown in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent seeds from floating. Conetainers are watered deeply and placed outside. Conetainers are moved to the greenhouse in January. Alternately, seed can be moist stratified in a refrigerator for 90 days before sowing in the greenhouse.
Establishment Phase:	Containers are moved to the greenhouse in mid to late January. Germination usually begins in 6 days and is complete in 12 days.
Length of Establishment Phase:	2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every other day and fertilized once per week with a complete, water soluble fertilizer containing micro-nutrients.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in mid April, depending on weather conditions. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2-4 weeks
Other Comments:	No insect problems have been noted. Most Penstemons are not grazed by wildlife or livestock and have only minor medicinal uses (Strickler 1997). Plants produce good seed crops in increase plantings for 4 to 5 years, then yields decline dramatically. Plantsmay be propagated by division. This method should only be used for plants growing in cultivation. Plants should not be dug up from stands in the wild.
References:	Allen, Phil S., and Susan E. Meyer. 1990. Temperature Requirements for Seed Germination of Three Penstemon Species. HortScience 25(2):191-193. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Larrison, Earl J., Grace W. Patrick, William H. Baker, and James A. Yaich. 1974. Washington Wildflowers. The Seattle Audubon Society. Seattle, WA. 376 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1956. Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in Washington. J.M. Dent & Sons (Canada) Limited. Vancouver, BC. 211 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1997. Wildflowers of Washington. Lone Pine Publishing, Renton, WA. 192 pp. Parish, Roberta, Ray Coupe, and Dennis Lloyd (eds.). 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 463 pp. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. Rickett, Harold W. 1973. Wildflowers of the United States: The Central Mountains and Plains. Vol. 6. (3 parts). McGraw Hill, New York. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. Strickler, Dee. 1997. Northwest Penstemons. The Flower Press. Columbia Falls, MT. 191 pp. USDA, NRCS. 2008. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 7 February 2008). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Penstemon confertus Dougl. ex Lindl. plants USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.