[Penstemons and Beardtongues: The Genus Penstemon in Mt. Adams Country]

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon

Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

The photo at left shows Barrett's penstemon as seen to the east of Mt. Adams.........May 2008. The photo at right shows Barrett's penstemon blooming on canyon rim near Mount Adams.......Jun 9, 2022.

Internal flower parts of Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae The photo at right shows a close-up of the woolly anthers and numerous hairs on the lower lip of the corolla of Barrett's penstemon. Photographed in the author's garden in Gresham, OR...........May 18, 2008.

Characteristics:

Barrett's penstemon is a showy, shrubby penstemon with a limited range. It is found entirely within a ten mile stretch of the Columbia River Gorge and along the upper Klickitat River. It was discovered by, and named after Almeta Hodge Barrett of Hood River, OR who discovered it prior to 1886.

Barrett's penstemon forms dense clumps of stems and leaves. The shrubby stems rise from 15-40 cm in length and tend to spread along the ground forming a loose mat. The leaves are smooth and glaucous (blue-green) with short petioles on the lower stems and base of the plant. These are lanceolate to elliptic in shape and up to 2.5 cm wide with entire to toothed margins. The stem leaves are reduced in size with sessile to clasping bases.

The inflorescence is a raceme or panicle with 2 flowers per cyme. The calyx is 5-8 mm long with ovate sepals tapered to narrow points. The tubular corolla ranges from 2.5-3.8 cm long and 1 cm wide at the mouth. The tube is ridged on top and has 2 ridges on the palate (at the throat of the lower lip). The flower is lilac or rose-purple and the palate is abundantly white haired. The anther sacs are densely white-woolly.

With good drainage and placed in a rock wall or between several good sized stones, this attractive plant should survive in the rock garden fairly easily. It can be obtained from a number of reputable dealers in Oregon and Washington.


Habitat:

Barrett's penstemon is found on dry, rocky ground, especially on basalt cliffs and talus slopes.


Range:

Barrett's penstemon is found between the elevations of 100'-1000' between Hood River, OR and Lyle, WA and also on cliffs and shoreline above the Klickitat River to the east of Glenwood, WA.


Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

The photo at left shows Barrett's penstemon as seen to the east of Mt. Adams.........May 2008. The photo at right shows Barett's penstemon blooming in the Klickitat Wildlife Area......May 26, 2020..

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's penstemon blooming along a stream near Mount Adams, Klickitat Canyon Community Forest.......June 3, 2022.

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae
Barrett's penstemon as seen to the east of Mt. Adams.........May 2008.

Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Barrett's penstemon blooming along cliffs in the Klickitat Wildlife Area........May 21, 2021.

Inflorescence of Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Stem leaf of Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Barrett's Beardtongue, Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

The photo above left shows a close-up of the inflorescence of Barrett's penstemon. The photo above center shows a close-up of the glaucous stem leaf of Barrett's penstemon. The photo at right shows a close-up sideview of the corolla of Barrett's penstemon. All of this set of photos are from the author's garden in Gresham, OR.........May 18, 2008.

Paul Slichter