Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Meadows and moist, open slopes, occasionally on drier slopes with sagebrush, chiefly in the foothills and at moderate elevations in the mountains.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, wasps, hummingbirds
Tufted perennial from a woody rhizome, the slender stems 2-7 dm. tall, usually glabrous throughout.
Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones petiolate, oblanceolate, often forming rosettes, up to 15 cm. long and 2 cm. wide; cauline leaves few, well-developed, sessile, not over 10 cm. long and 2 cm. wide.
Inflorescence of 1-several dense verticillasters, the flowers spreading at right angles to the stem; calyx 3-7 mm. long, the 5 segments narrowly scarious-margined, tapering to a pointed tip; corolla blue-purple, 11-15 mm. long, bilabiate, the tube expanded, 3-5 mm. wide at the mouth; raised portion of the lower petal bearded; staminode usually bearded at the expanded tip; pollen sacs glabrous, ovate, 0.6-1.0 mm. long, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite.
Capsule 5-6 mm. long.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Penstemon rydbergii in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Penstemon rydbergii checklist entry
OregonFlora: Penstemon rydbergii information
E-Flora BC: Penstemon rydbergii atlas page
CalPhotos: Penstemon rydbergii photos