Penstemon spectabilis
Showy penstemon is an upright, semi-woody perennial reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and roughly 2 to 3 feet wide, with toothed, blue-green clasping foliage. From mid-spring into early summer it sends up tall spikes of inflated, tubular flowers in vivid blue-purple to lavender, drawing native bees, carpenter bees, and hummingbirds. It needs full sun and very little water once established, performing best in fast-draining soils. Use it in dry borders, slope plantings, pollinator and habitat gardens, and low-water native compositions where its vertical bloom adds strong seasonal color.