American Penstemon Society

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AMERICAN PENSTEMON SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER

Volume No. 2, Issue No. 4 apsdev.org November 2008

Basaseachic Falls, Mexico Dale Lindgren

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2009 ANNUAL MEETING

Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains, Mexico

Dave Bentzin, Denver

Would you like the opportunity to study the penstemons common in northern Mexico? Exploratory trips these past two years have shown us that we can expect to see Penstemon ambiguus, P. stenophyllus, P. campanulatus, P. faciculatus, P. kunthii,

P. miniatus, and P. barbatus. And, then there is certain to be the annual discussion concerning Penstemon gentrii.

Our guides will be the most knowledgeable botanists for that area:

Dr. Rich Spellenberg of New Mexico State University., Las Cruces and

Dr. Wynn Anderson,University. of Texas at El Paso. In addition, General Chairman Dale Lindgren is arranging for some special speakers.

Our Annual Meeting begins Friday afternoon, September 4, with an enjoyable visit to the Chihuahua Desert Botanic Gardens. Then we will share a Welcome Dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn, where we will stay that evening -- all on the UTEP campus.

Saturday morning our Mexican adventure begins when we board our first-class charter bus. Our six-day Basic Trip, with a night in Cuauhtémoc, 3 nights in Creel, and then a night in Nuevo Casas Grandes, as we return to El Paso by a different route, affords us many opportunities to “stop and smell the flowers”. An optional extension of 2-nights will be offered to experience the famous Copper Canyon train trip: Creel to El Fuerte, and return.

In addition, we will visit the 812 foot Basaseachic Falls, the Paquimé archaeological site of Anasazi age, and Mata Ortiz, a wonderful village of talented potters.

Copper Canyon from Divisadero Bob McFarlane

All participants will have the package beginning in El Paso on Friday, September 4. Those returning from the six-day Basic Trip will return to El Paso on September 10. This package includes transportation by charter bus, 6 nights hotel (dbl. occ.), all breakfasts, most lunches, two dinners, travel insurance, and our fabulous guides. Your total expenses, including the Basic Package, meals on your own, and a last night in

El Paso, if needed, should not exceed $1,500.

Those adding the optional Copper Canyon train extension will return to El Paso on September 12. The additional cost will be about $400.

If interested in joining us, write to

Dan Schaaf, Registration Chairman, at:

or

UNL – West Central Center

402 West State Farm Road

North Platte, NE 69101

for complete information and a registration form.

** Please register early so that we can have an accurate count by the end of the year.

If you have botanical questions, contact:

Dale Lindgren, General Chairman [email protected] (308) 696-6706

If you have travel questions, contact:

Dave Bentzin, Facilities Chairman (303) 794-8371

Ed.’s Note: For more information, please see Dale Lingren’s “Penstemon in Chihuahua, Mexico” in the 2008 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN PENSTEMON SOCIETY and Bob McFarlane’s “Mexico Looks Fine for 2009” in the December 2007 AMERICAN PENSTEMON SOCIETY NEWSLETTER.

Penstemon kunthii, Mexico

Dale Lindgren

DUES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES

Joan & Truel West

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Thanks to those members who have already paid their 2008 and 2009 membership dues.> > Dues for 2009 are now due. Please note that there are still 77 of you who have not paid 1988 dues yet. Please check your records and include these with your 2009 dues.

Please send your yearly dues ($15 US and Canada/ $20 other countries) to the address below, using the form at the end of the newsletter. You may also go to www.aps.org and pay through PayPal. Be sure to include your current email address along with your payment. APS only uses your email address to save costs in distributing periodic mailings. It will not be made available beyond APS..Thank you.
> >
American Penstemon Society (APS)
Memberhip Secretaries
c/o Joan and Truel West
1050 Camino Rancheros
Santa Fe, NM 87505
EMail:

NORTHWESTERN COLORADO

APS 2010 ANNUAL MEETING

Mike Kintgen, Denver, Colorado

It’s a good thing that Penstemon and Mother Nature are unaffected by the current market conditions so mark you calendars for the first weekend in June 2010!

While often bypassed for the snowcapped peaks of the central part of the state, Northwestern Colorado has much to offer Penstemaniacs. The American Penstemon Society lists seventeen species of Penstemon being present in Moffat County, three of which are endemic to the area. Brown’s Park, an area in the northwestern part of Moffat County, is where many of the seventeen species can be found including all three endemics.

Topping the list for everyone will be Penstemon yampaensis named after the

Yampa river and closely related to P. acualis. Other beautiful Penstemon that should be in peak bloom include P. humilis, P. pachyphylus var. mucronatus, P. fremontii, and

P. scarious. Various other species may be spotted along with a well-rounded assembly of late spring wildflowers.

P. yampaensis Mike Evans

Craig, a ranching and now energy boom town, will be home base for a few days. Both short and longer trips are planned to give everyone a chance to see at least a few Penstemon in the wild. We should all be in for several interesting and fulfilling days, especially if moisture conditions cooperate for 2010. I hope to see many of you in Colorado.

SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS

APS 2011 ANNUAL MEETING

Ginny Maffitt, Sherwood, Oregon

The Siskiyou Mountains are the oldest part of Oregon, thus growing many unusual and beautiful penstemons and many other genera. Since the mountains have been folded and reshuffled over the eons, many different rock types can be found, but the most unusual are the serpentine or manganese areas. Since it is mildly toxic, it has the effect of stunting growth of trees and shrubs, so many appear to be ‘bonsai-ed’ by a master hand. The blooms will be best between 5000 and 6000’ in early July.

With the Annual Meeting being planned three years in advance (second week of July, 2011), exact tours and speakers are still under advisement. We are hoping some co-chairmen will soon step up to share the logistics jobs and the fun of telling everybody “where to go”!

Penstemon speciosus Ginny Maffitt

Tentatively, one day’s trip would be a loop drive south of Ashland beginning at Mt. Ashland ski area, continuing past Dutchman Peak and on to the Applegate area and Lily Pad Lake, then looping up to Medford. This is an area of lush forests, vistas miles into California, and hopes for seeing Penstemon speciosus,

P. deustus, P. parvulus, P. azureus, and P. anguineus, plus rare lilies, endangered, carniverous cobra lilies, habenaria orchids, fleabane daisies, checkermallows and delphineums, to name just a few.

The second day’s trip would be about 30 miles north, going west from Grant’s Pass into the serpentine areas of Rough and Ready, Eight Dollar Mountain, the Illinois river, Fiddler and Onion Peaks and through the edges of the burned over forest (of 2004), now recovering well. Penstemons along this route are P. rupicola, P. newberryi and their hybrids, P. davidsonii and others.

There are other drives that will be suggested for pre- or post-tours on Friday or Monday. These include Pilot Rock, Wimer Road, and Babyfoot Lake. I already have plant lists and mileage marker lists from all these places courtesy of Dave Dobak of Portland, who led an AGS trip of English folks here several years ago. Experienced local botanist Viva Stansell is sending me her maps and plants as well.

Please reserve the second weekend of July, 2011 in your future vacation schedule for this outstanding opportunity to see one of America’s greatest treasures of wildflowers!

A CALL FOR PENSTEMON SEED DONATIONS

Louise Parson, Corvallis, Oregon
Seed season is here. Time to put on some nice music and clean, package, and label your penstemon seeds for APS. We are returning the donation deadline to the later due date, December 1, 2008. I (Louise) will handle both intake and distribution this year. Ginny Maffitt will be compiling the list and will, as always, provide enthusiastic energy and expertise. APS has already received an
impressive donation of twenty different taxa from Bob and Phoebe McFarlane.
Donations may be penstemon or closely-related species or hybrids from your
garden, and/or those collected in the wild. If you are planning a fall hike to
enjoy gentians or other late bloom, it might not be too late to try for some
more penstemon seed. Penstemon seeds hold in the capsule well, though seasonal
winds will empty them quickly. Although garden seed may be hybridized by open pollination, it adds diversity and interest. For instance, "Sally's Surprise"
has produced some gorgeous flowers, even as young seedlings. If garden species bloom a week or so apart, they are more likely to come true.
When gathering seed, look for brown, hard capsules with hardened seeds, either brown or black. Penstemon seeds are irregularly shaped, so don't be dismayed if they look "dead". Texture is more telling than appearance. Infertile seed is brittle --it turns to dust when rubbed. Though seed keeps well, it is less likely to be spoiled by mold or pests if it is promptly removed from capsules
and cleaned.
If you are uncertain about ID, share "UFO" (Unidentified Flowering Object)
penstemon seeds anyway. Please include as much information as you can and we will attempt an ID. If available, you may include a bloom or other diagnostic plant parts.

Please clean the seeds as thoroughly as possible. A collection of sieves and spatter screens (for frying foods) from "dollar" or second-hand stores is handy for fast cleaning. Run seeds through until clean of detritus. "Winnowing" on a large paper plate also removes loads of debris.

For containing the cleaned seeds, check office supply stores which carry small paper envelopes for coin collectors, or order a small amount of glassine envelopes from the NARGS book store online (NARGS.org). Be sure to inspect envelopes for possible leaks.

The McFarlanes packaged their
seeds in glassines, then placed each offering in a coin envelope. This is an
excellent "backup" to prevent loss or mixing. All was then placed in a large
padded envelope and arrived in fine fettle. Note that the postal service now
charges parcel rates for padded envelopes, but they are still the best way to mail your collection of seeds. Again, don't forget to label your seed!
Please include a list of your donations including full name, variety, subspecies or cultivar name, color and height if known, wild or garden collected, and county and state if wild. The seed lists should be sent out by
January 1, 2009.
Mail your donations ASAP to:
Louise Parsons
1915 SE Stone Street
Corvallis, OR US 97333
541-752-7515
Feel free to e-mail me at with any questions or concerns.
(note that the e-mail does not spell my name correctly, so copy it carefully)
Alternatively, feel free to contact me at my address above. I am happy to help
out in any way that I can.

PHOTO CONTEST

Be one of the first winners of our annual APS photo contest! December 1 is the deadline for getting your entries to Dr.Stephen Love, University of Idaho, Aberdeen R &E Center, 1693 S 2700 W, Aberdeen, ID 83210. Email: .

See your last newsletter at home or on line for rules and regulations.

WEBSITE NEWS

APS Website Recent Addition

Articles by well-known biology teacher Paul Slichter

Barbara Lewis, Denver

Paul Slichter has generously permitted us to print his web series about 23 species of penstemons entitled “Penstemons East of the Cascade Mountains.” Mr. Slichter has run a Pacific Northwest nature website for over 12 years, plus sites for the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Adams in the south Washington Cascades and for Denali Park. As Mr. Slichter explains, these sites evolved from his “… interest in identifying plants, discovering where they can be found, and determining the interactions they have with wildlife, especially pollinators. I use photography to learn about individual species …. and keep detailed lists of what I find at various locations throughout the west that I can share with others.”

Paul Slichter is also a rock gardener and has a nature garden. He is especially interested in penstemons (he grows several) , campions, lomatiums, lupines, native phlox, polemoniums and balsamroots as well as native grasses and sedges.

You will find “Penstemons East of the Cascade Mountains” on our website at http://www.apsdev.org/cultivation/References_wmIX.html

CONSERVATION CORNER

Steve Caicco, Reno, Nevada

Endangered Species Chair

As this is my first article for the newsletter, I would like to thank Bob McFarlane for inviting me to become the first APS endangered species coordinator. I’m genuinely honored to serve in this position. As Bob mentioned, I thought it best if I begin my tenure by writing some broadly focused articles on plant conservation and the various ways that individual members of APS and the organization as a whole can contribute to penstemon conservation.

You’ll note that last sentence makes no mention of endangered species. This is intentional. In a strict sense, endangered denotes a determined legal status usually at the federal level but, in some cases, a state designation. Only two penstemon species, Penstemon penlandii, from Colorado, and P. haydenii from Nebraska and Wyoming, have a federal status, although two additional species, P. debilis from Colorado and

P. scariosus var. albifluvis from Colorado and Utah are candidates for federal listing. Recovery of endangered species is an critical task and we’ll come back to these species at some future date And while I believe that this regulatory step should be taken whenever warranted, I also believe the primary goal of conservation should be to ensure that this step never becomes necessary.

So how can we, as individuals and as an organization, further this goal? In a somewhat arbitrary fashion, our potential contribution can be broken down into skills, knowledge, time, and money. I say arbitrary because sharing knowledge and skills invariably requires a time commitment and, as we have all been taught, time is money. So just send money.