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

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.

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

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

Barrett's penstemon as part of a planting at the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead about one mile east of Hood River, Oregon..........May 14, 2013.

Barrett's penstemon (left) growing on sheer basalt cliffs in the middle portion of the Columbia River Gorge...........May 10, 2009. The photo at right shows Barrett's penstemon on basalt cliffs along the Rowland Rim just west of Catherine Creek..........November 6, 2015.

Close-up photos of Barrett's penstemon as seen in the Klickitat River drainage........May 27, 2009.

Barrett's penstemon beginning to bloom at left above the Columbia River............April 23, 2013. The photo at right shows Barrett's penstemon leaves near Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.....February 9, 2021.

Barrett's penstemon blooming on cliff tops near Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.........May 2, 2014.

A habitat photo at left of Barrett's penstemon as seen in the Klickitat River drainage.........May 27, 2009. The photo at right shows Barrett's penstemon looking a little brighter after fall rains as seen at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.......November 9, 2923.

Barrett's penstemon blooming at Catherine Creek.........April 13, 2016.

Barrett's penstemon beginning to bloom in the Klickitat River drainage..........May 1, 2014.