Scarlet bugler

Penstemon centranthifolius

Description

The Scarlet bugler penstemon is an upright species, growing 2-3 ft. high, with distinctive gray foliage and orange-red flowers. Widely distributed throughout dry coastal and inland foothill zones of California from the Bay Area into Mexico. It’s common name refers to the scarlet colored bugle-shaped flowers that appear in spring and ascend above the plant 4-5 ft. tall.

The Scarlet bugler is well suited as a springtime flowering accent plant in California native and Mediterranean gardens on banks and mixed with other flowering perennials around rocks and pathways. It grow best on well drained soils, in full sun and with low amounts of supplemental water during summer.

Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, Drought, All day sun
Function: Container plant, Borders, Wildlife value, Attracts butterflies, Rock gardens, Small spaces, Hummingbird plant, Flowering accent plant
Height: 2 ft. – 3 ft.
Width: 12 in. – 18 in.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.