Prairie Coneflower, Mexican Hat, Ratibida columnifera

Prairie Coneflower, Mexican Hat, Ratibida columnifera

Full Sun
Low Water

Mature Size: 32”X 32”
Blooming Season: June-September
Flower Color: Yellow-Orange

The roadsides of northeastern New Mexico light up with color in mid-summer when large stands of Prairie coneflower come into bloom. This drought-tolerant plant is easy to establish, and it naturalizes readily so you can grow your own stand of wildflowers. Prairie Coneflower (a.k.a. Mexican Hat) is a heavy bloomer, with a mature plant producing hundreds of flowers with distinctive mahogany-red petals edged in yellow. Cold hardy and able to handle hot summers as long as it gets deep watering twice a month when flowering.

Desert Beardtongue, Penstemon pseudospectabilis

Desert Beardtongue, Penstemon pseudospectabilis

Full Sun
Low Water

Mature Size: 3’X 3’
Blooming Season: Spring into summer
Flower Color: Rose pink

Penstemon species exhibit a wide range of flower and leaf colors, but most share a strong preference for lean, well-drained soils and modest amounts of water. Desert Beardtongue is valuable for its deep rose pink flowers that can bring hummingbirds to dine near your patio and for its persistent silver or blue-green leaves that add garden interest long after the flowers have faded for the year.

Pineleaf Penstemon, Penstemon pinifolius

Pineleaf Penstemon, Penstemon pinifolius

Full Sun
Low Water

Mature Size: 12”X 20”
Blooming Season: June-July
Flower Color: Orange

Pineleaf Penstemon is an outstanding but often overlooked species from southern New Mexico and Arizona. Blooming for 6-8 weeks in mid-summer, the tubular orange flowers are profuse, attracting hummingbirds from miles around. P. pinifolius is long-lived and grows easily in both xeric and traditional perennial gardens. As the plant matures, the stems become woody, forming an attractive evergreen shrublet with bright green needle-like foliage.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Penstemon strictus

Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Penstemon strictus

Full Sun
Low Water

Mature Size: 24”X 24”
Blooming Season: May-June
Flower Color: Purple

A native Penstemon of the foothills and mountains of the southern Rockies (sometimes known as Beardtongue), this plant grows well in central New Mexico. It grows well in full sun, yet can tolerate some shade. Its tall, showy spikes of purple flowers last for over a month in the late spring. Spreading steadily via stolons to form large clumps of dense green foliage, Rocky Mountain Penstemon is  one of the longest lived and most easily grown of the Penstemons.

Yellow Evening Primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa syn missouriensis

Yellow Evening Primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa syn missouriensis

Full Sun, Part Shade
Medium Water

Mature Size: 1’X 2’
Blooming Season: Late spring
Flower Color: Yellow

Yellow Evening Primrose is a prairie wildflower that looks anything but wild. Its 4 inch-wide clear yellow flowers are nestled among shiny green leaves growing in a compact cultivated-looking mound. In addition to the species, there are interesting varieties including Comanche Campfire with silver leaves and red stems for added contrast. Deeply rooted and long-lived, Yellow Evening Primrose pairs nicely with Leadplant or Lavender.