Description: Utah Penstemon (penstemon utahensis), a.k.a. Utah Firecracker, is an erect, hairless perennial that is usually between 1-2 feet tall. It has thick, opposite, entire leaves that are often folded lengthwise. They have clasping bases that are up to 20 inches long near the base of the plant, decreasing in size up to the stem. Its red, tubular to funnel-shaped flowers are about 1 inch long with upper lobes that spread backward. They are usually found in rock places between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in desert scrub and Pinyon-Juniper woodlands from southern Utah to northern Arizona. Their flowering season is early spring, April to May. As with most tubular plant species, they tend to be pollinated by hummingbirds, and often their flowering season closely coincides with hummingbird migration.
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