Penstemon eatonii FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON

This penstemon grows in well drained gravel soil. There are five different penstemons that grow in this area. They were very attractive during the summer of 2008 because of the higher than normal snow fall the previous winter. There were more populations of this penstemon than any of the other five. It does well in the landscape, but is somewhat short lived. In my garden it has reseeded itself. It grows upto two feet high and about 18 inches wide. Butterflies and humming birds love it.

Sphaeralcea coccinea SCARLET GLOBE MALLOW

This mallow is only about eight inches tall. There are some colonies of plants that are quite large. A single plant looks pretty lonely. They are very drought tolerant and usually are the first mallows to bloom in the spring. The smaller picture is a close-up.