Foothill Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' (Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP') is a selection of a California native herbaceous perennial, best known for its profuse blue-purple blooms that have a tubular, bell-shaped form.
It is low-growing and evergreen, with an upright-form, multi-branching stems, and lance-shaped, blue-green foliage. Its flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.
Gardeners love 'Margarita BOP' Penstemon because of its long flowering window between spring and summer and its ability to grow in a variety of conditions. We like planting it in masses along borders, beside creek banks, and in rock gardens.
'Margarita BOP' Penstemon got its curious common name after Bert Wilson of Las Pilitas Nursery discovered it growing as a chance seedling at the Bottom Of the Porch — "BOP." It is believed to be a hybrid of P. heterophyllus and P. laetus.
'Margarita BOP' Penstemon tolerates most soil types. It thrives in full sun in coastal sites, but prefers part shade when planted farther inland.
Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP' - Foothill Penstemon 'Margarita BOP'
Optimal Growth Conditions
- Mature Height: 1 - 2 feet
- Mature Width: 2 - 3 feet
- Sun: Full Sun, Partial Shade
- Water: Low
- Soil Drainage: Fast, Medium, Slow
Geographic Appropriateness
- USDA Zone: Zones 6 - 10
- Sunset Zone: Zones 7 - 24
- Native Sites: This plant derives from a selected cultivar, but the species is typically found near the coast, in open grassy Chaparral, especially on slopes with good drainage. Inland and at higher elevations, it also occurs in sunlit openings of foothill woodland or pine forest.
Additional Landscaping Information
- Characteristics: Flowering, Evergreen, California Native
- Special Uses: Containers, Groundcover, Banks of Rain Gardens