Davidson's Penstemon

Penstemon davidsonii is a low, mat-forming subshrub up to that can be 4 to 17 centimeters (1+1⁄2 to 6+3⁄4 in) tall, but is usually no more than 10 cm (4 in) tall. Its stems are covered in fine, short hairs or in stiff backwards facing ones. The leaves are evergreen and small. Each stem with have five to ten pairs pairs of leaves ranging in length from 0.5 to 3 centimeters, but usually between 1 and 2 cm. Their surface is hairless or faintly covered in fine hairs, but is never glaucous or waxy. The edges of the leaves may be smooth or toothed. The leaves often have a paler green, tan, or reddish edge. The flowers are tubular, blue-lavender to purple, and large relative to the short stature of the plant. The calyx is covered with short hair. Larger plants often flower abundantly, with the leaf mat nearly covered with the showy flowers.

Penstemon davidsonii is native to North America from the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada through the Coast and Cascade ranges of Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. It grows on rocks or in rocky soils in sunny mountain locations.

Conservation. The conservation organization NatureServe evaluated Penstemon davidsonii in 2016 and rated it as apparently secure (G4). They also evaluated it in British Columbia and found it to be secure (S5). They have not evaluated the rest of its range.