Skip to main content

Bridges's penstemon

Penstemon rostriflorus

Last reviewed: October 2026

Bridges's penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus) is a perennial forb native to AZ, CA, CO, NM and 2 more states. It blooms in June, July, and August. The flowers draw hummingbirds.

Bridges's penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus)
Photo: no rights reserved

Toxicity unknown

Bridges's penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

low

Size

12"–30" H × 12"–18" W

Bloom

Jun, Jul, Aug

Native to

AZ, CA, CO, NM and 2 more states

Pollinators

hummingbirds

Before you buy

Your city may pay you to plant this

Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 458 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

Find rebates in your area

Picture natives in your own yard

Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Bridges's penstemon.

A perennial forb with narrow, gray-green leaves and slender, wiry stems bearing tubular, orange-red flowers with a distinctive beaked lower lip. Grows on dry, rocky slopes and open pine forest at mid to high elevation.

Growing Bridges's penstemon

Grow Bridges's penstemon in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 12 to 30 inches tall and spread 12 to 18 inches wide.

Wildlife value

The narrow, tubular red flowers are adapted specifically for pollination by hummingbirds, which visit throughout the summer bloom period.

Common questions

How much sun does Bridges's penstemon need?
Bridges's penstemon grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Bridges's penstemon bloom?
Bridges's penstemon blooms in June, July, and August.
Where is Bridges's penstemon native?
Bridges's penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus) is native to AZ, CA, CO, NM and 2 more states, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What pollinators does Bridges's penstemon attract?
Bridges's penstemon draws hummingbirds.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

See all plant problem guides

Ready to grow Bridges's penstemon? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.