Penstemon rydbergii

Rydberg's penstemon, aka meadow beardtongue, is one of those wildflowers that takes center stage. The vegetation emerges in the spring as a bright green basal rosette followed by an upright stem generally standing up to two feet. By summer, countless striking blueish-purple, bearded flowers adorn all sides of the stem in dynamic whorls, like floral fireworks. It is a nutrient-rich source of food to hummingbirds, song birds, bumblebees, and butterflies and an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, moist meadowscapes and sunny raingardens.  

• Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, herbaceous plant 
• Size at maturity: 12-24" tall, 36" wide
• Light requirements: full sun, part sun/part shade
• Moisture requirements: moist soil 
• Bloom time: May - August 
• Growth rate/ease: medium growth rate, easy to grow
• Wildlife support: flowers of all penstemon are highly attractive as a nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other insect pollinators; seeds are nutrient-packed food for birds; overall plant is host to caterpillars/larvae of about a dozen species of native butterflies and moths including native Checkerspot butterflies like the Chalcedon Checkerspot, and the Mountain Beauty Moth
• Native habitat/range: commonly found growing in moist meadows and streambanks with wet rocky soil, at mid to high elevations between 1200-3400m, in Northern California, most of Oregon (except areas in the northwestern part of the state) and central Washington. Portland Plant List - no. 
• Special features & uses: deer resistant; hummingbird favorite; landscape uses include pollinator gardens, raingardens, and wet rock gardens 

Gardening with Rydberg’s Penstemon: Rydberg's penstemon is long-lived and one of the most showy wildflowers for Pacific Northwest habitat gardens. It prefers full sun, but can tolerate part shade and can handle a variety of soils. It tends to grow in moist meadows and streambanks, so be sure to plant it in a perennially moist location. Consider planting several (generally clumps of three to five spaced a couple feet apart) in a meadowscape with native grasses and other companion perennials such as columbine, lilies, western buttercup, triteleia and violets.

Photo Credit 1 (flower close): "Penstemon rydbergii Swayne" by peganum is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Photo Credit 2 (flower stalk): "rydberg's penstemon Penstemon rydbergii" by Paul and Jill is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Photo Credits 3 (with bee): "Penstemon rydbergii" by Matt Lavin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. 

Photo Credits 4 & 5 (in a meadow): © Anders Hastings, some rights reserved (CC-BY)