[Beardtongues and Penstemons: The Genus Penstemon East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Wilcox's Beardtongue, Wilcox's Penstemon

Penstemon wilcoxii

Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above shows a close-up view of the flower of Wilcox's penstemon as seen along Forest Road #39 one-half mile south of Nesbit Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest............June 27, 2008. Note the long, narrow tube covered with minute, gland-tipped hairs.
Characteristics:

Wilcox's penstemon is a perennial wildflower with one to several narrow stems which rise in a cluster to 100 cm in height. The basal leaves are large, measuring up to 20 cm in length. They are long and elliptical to deltoid in shape, with long petioles which account for about one-half the leaf length. All the leaves are serrately margined. The stem leaves are often as large as those at the base, but lanceolate to heart-shaped with clasping bases.

The inflorescence is a broadly spreading panicle, consisting of up to ten or more flowered cymes. The corolla is blue to purple, with a pale throat and yellow hairs. They are up to 2.3 cm in length. The corolla is definitely two-lipped.

This penstemon is suitable for the rock garden. I do have it growing in my garden on the west side of the Cascades, and it has survived for about 4-5 seasons, although it is covered for about 2-3 months during mid winter.

Habitat:

Wilcox's penstemon is found on rocky slopes to thick forests from the foothills to subalpine elevations in the mountains.

Range:

Wilcox's penstemon is found from the Wallowa Mts of northeastern Oregon northward through extreme eastern Washington, eastward through most of Idaho (north of the Snake River) into western Montana.

Inflorescence of Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above shows a close-up view of the inflorescence of Wilcox's penstemon as seen along Forest Road #39 one-half mile south of Nesbit Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest..........June 27, 2008. The numerous gland-tipped hairs are evident here.

Floral parts of the flower of Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above shows a close-up view of the floral parts of Wilcox's penstemon as seen along Forest Road #39 one-half mile south of Nesbit Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.........June 27, 2008. Note the hairy tip to the staminode. The anthers split fully and the anther sacs are nearly opposite of each other.

Upper stem leaves of Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above shows a close-up view of the toothed, papir of clasping leaflets on the upper stem of Wilcox's penstemon as seen along Forest Road #39 one-half mile south of Nesbit Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.........June 27, 2008.

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above shows Wilcox's penstemon as seen along the Hells Canyon Rim Road in Hells Canyon NRA...........June 28, 2008.

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Penstemon wilcoxii - Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The 3 photos seen directly above show close-up views of Wilcox's penstemon as seen along the Hells Canyon Rim Road in Hells Canyon NRA...........June 28, 2008.

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

Wilcox's beardtongue as seen along Forest Road #39 several miles downhill to the south of the junction with FS Road #3965, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area......June 11, 2018.

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Flower of Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum) - Inflorescence of Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

What may be Wilcox's beardtongue (or a hybrid with Penstemon albertinus, also found on the trail) blooming along the Holland Falls National Recreation Trail #416, Flathead National Forest......May 27, 2023.

Wilcox's Penstemon: Penstemon wilcoxii Synonym: Penstemon ovatus var. pinetorum)

The photo above of Wilcox's penstemon was taken along the Chief Joseph Trail, Wallowa-Whitman N.F........late July, 1997.

Paul Slichter