Penstemon-ID help

[David Nicholson]

This Penstemon was grown from seed (SRGC 12/13-2921 ) sown in September 2013, labelled P. berryi which I assumed to be P. newberryi ssp berryi and I have posted it as such on the Forum in 2015 and 2016 and in the next few days it will likely be flowering again. It's a shrubby grower and the height to the top of the stems is around 60cm, the leaves are strongly toothed and have red margins. I've always been suspicious about the naming though. The leaves are nothing like the pictures I've seen of P. n. ssp berryi or indeed of P. newberryi. I suppose it could be a hybrid and if it is I would be interested in what it's parents might have been.

Pictures below (as previously posted). Any views welcome.

[t00lie]

David

I have a very similar plant to yours grown from seed as P. serrulatus -- around the same height --serrated leaves --red margins on the leaves which vary from year to year .....

Cheers Dave.

[David Nicholson]

Dave, thanks for responding. I had thought about Penstemon serrulatus but the pictures I've found don't seem to show the same strongly toothed leaves mine have and I can't find a picture, or a description, that refers to red margins on the leaves. If mine turns out to be a hybrid then surely serrulatus  could be in the mix?

I've cross-posted on the NARGS Forum (not sure if anyone reads it these days!) in the hope that perhaps Bob Nold or another Penstemon expert might comment.

[Robert]

Hi David,

I do not recognize the Penstemon, however I guarantee that it is not Penstemon newberryi. They are in full bloom on Chipmunk Bluff right now. I did post a photograph a few days ago. Variety berryi grows in the Coastal Mountains of California and Southern Oregon. Variety newberryi is very common in the Sierra Nevada. A good selection from seed can be very beautiful.

I hope you get a name for your Penstemon! 

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for responding Robert. I did a full Forum search on Penstemon and as a result I revisited many of your Penstemon pictures including newberryi. Just shows what a fantastic resource you travels provides. Thank you.

[Maggi Young]

From Bob Nold ......

It does look like P. serrulatus. I’m suffering from a mild allergy, slept with the window open last night, so my vision is a bit blurry.
Nothing at all like P. newberryi which is a low-growing suffrutescent species from California and Oregon.
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0910+0649  (var. berryi)
 
regular newberryi http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0606+0015
 
Bob

[Maggi Young]

How fortunate we are to be able to have such expert help  on hand, as we  do from Bob!

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for making the contact with Bob Maggi and thanks too to Bob for taking the time and the trouble to have a look at my pictures.