Native Plants for Summer Interest in the Mountain West

Firecracker penstemon

Penstemon eatonii

Zones:4–9

Size:18 to 36 column inch grandiloquent and 10 to 15 inch blanket

Conditions : Full sunshine to fond tone ; dry , well - drained soil

Native range : cardinal - west and southwestern United States

Few native plants have an extended blooming menses to rival that of firecracker penstemon . Even when it ’s not in bloom , the cryptic gullible leave are a nice break from all the gray and blue foliage often found in teetotal garden . prospicient spike of flowers open in chronological succession starting in early summer and continue for many weeks . The deep red cannular blooms attract hummingbirds , and the wiry stems need no staking . cracker genus Penstemon also makes for a majuscule cold shoulder efflorescence . Do n’t provide it with too much piss or full-bodied grime , however ; it may bloom more intemperately but give out to refund the next year . This plant is good grown in dry , sandy , or gravelly soil .

Snowbrush ceanothus

Ceanothus velutinus

Zones:4–8

Size:2 to 10 feet marvellous and 5 to 15 base wide-cut

condition : Full sun to partial shade ; well - drain soil

Native range : Western United States , southerly British Columbia

I love fragrant foliage , and the shiny , resinous leaves of snowbrush ceanothus are a dearie with their aroma of balsam and Cinnamomum zeylanicum . flossy panicles of ivory flowers appear at the ends of stems in former summer . This shrub grows well in infertile soil because the root work an tie withFrankiabacteria that help it fix N . wintertime injury or browse by fauna may cause it to die back in winter , but since it blooms on new woodwind and can quickly produce fresh growth , that is n’t a problem . The height and spread of this shrub can be do well with pruning . It is not particular about filth texture or pH and can hold out moderate drought . Site it where it ’s protected from dry wintertime winds , or bury it in deep slack mulch where winter snow cover is lacking .

Colorado four o’clock

Mirabilis Rosa multiflora

Size:15 to 18 inches improbable and 3 to 4 feet wide

Native reach : Central - western United States and southwest United States , northerly Mexico

When I was untested , I remember watch four o’clocks open in later afternoon with enthrallment . The alluring fragrance of their bright magenta blossom makes them a swell choice for entryways and along paths . You ’ll often find hummingbirds and hawk moth feasting on the abundant nectar they provide . This long - exist perennial is wondrous drought tolerant thanks to its deep antecedent . Colorado four o’clock blooms most of the summer , and its short public exposure habit and lovely blue - dark-green leaves make it a bang-up flat coat cover for teetotal arena . Maintenance is childlike — just mow or cut the plant down to ground spirit level before the first hard frost .

Munro’s globemallow

Sphaeralcea munroana

Size:16 to 36 inch tall and 18 to 24 inch full

aboriginal range : cardinal - Occident and northwestern United States , southerly British Columbia

The endearing spikes of abundant peachy - orange bloom and attractive gray - green foliage draw attention to Munro ’s globemallow in summer . Bright golden anther at the center of each flower make them shine . The woody jacket crown of this plant can survive all kinds of insult , including grazing by animals , elongated drouth , and extreme cold . It ’s a great plant for native bee that feed on its pollen and ambrosia . It can even be grown in a large container , and the semi - evergreen foliage provide winter interest . Although this globemallow can sail through almost any drouth , a act of water during dry clock time will keep it flower latterly in the summer . This perennial can produce in George Sand or clay .

Scott Akeris the theatre director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Wyoming .

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Native Plants for Summer Interest in the Southwest

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