THEY NEED

At least six hours of sun daily.

Good air circulation.

Soil that is well drained and relatively low in organic matter.

To encourage plants in containers to establish in garden soil, remove most of the soil mix from around the rootballs of plants before setting them in the ground.

Little competition from neighboring plants.

Irrigation/rain before bloom, dry conditions thereafter.

Prompt removal of spent flower stalks to prevent energy-robbing seed formation.

Shrubby evergreen species need protection from drying winter winds.

GOOD COMPANIONS

These plants are compatible with penstemons in mixed plantings.

Flowering plants

Achillea (yarrow)

Anthemis

Callirhoe involucrata (wine cups)

Calylophus (sundrops)

Cistus (rockrose)

Dianthus

Eriogonum (wild buckwheat)

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

Gaura lindheimeri

Helianthemum (sunrose)

Hesperaloe parviflora (red yucca)

Iris (bearded types and hybrids)

Linum (flax)

Nepeta (catmint)

Oenothera (evening primrose)

Papaver (poppy)

Salvia (sage)

Foliage plants

Agave

Artemisia

Dasylirion (desert spoon)

Yucca

Grasses

Festuca californica, F. glauca, F. idahoensis

Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feather grass)

Stipa