Nursery Located At Ruckman Road 65 
_ Penstemon fruticosus. A large evergreen shrub with long decumbent branches making 
attractive mounds about 18 inches high. It produces long spikes of huge tubular 
purple flowers in May and June, A very impressive shrub for a hot sunny spot 
in a well drained, gritty lime soil. (pH 7-8) Another native of the Rockies, This 
and all the others from the Rockies like a thick mulch of stone chips over their 
roots. 
Penstemon hirsutus. Another tall Eastern species that makes clumps of tall stems from 
18 to 30 inches high with showy spikes of colorful flowers in May and June. The 
flowers vary from purple to shades of blue and pink. More of a broder plant than 
a rock garden subject. It grows in any garden soil in sun or light shade. (pH 5-8) 
- Penstemon hirsutus pygmaeus. An extremely dwarf form of the above that was spon- 
taneous in our nursery in Hillsdale. It is a dense clump of evergreen leaves about 
4 inches high, with huge loose clusters of pale lavender flowers gracefully draped 
over the leaves in June, An exceptionally fine rock garden or wall garden subject. 
It is easy to grow in a well drained garden soil in full sun. (pH 6-8) 
Penstemon menziesii. A noble shrub about 6 inches high, making attractive spreading 
‘ mounds of thick, decumbent, creeping branches covered with thick leathery dark 
green, evergreen leaves. It has huge purple trumpets on 6 inch stems in May and 
| June. One of the easiest to grow in a well drained garden soil in full sun. (pH 6-8) 
| A wonderful wall plant. 
Penstemon rupicola. One of the best and perhaps the most difficult of the alpine pen- 
stemons, It is a dense compact bun of thick fleshy and leathery leaves on decumbent 
stems about 4 inches high with large rose-crimson flowers in July and August. Truly 
one of the most desirable of the dwarf evergreen shrubs for the rock garden, It 
must have a very well drained gritty soil with a good amount of acid leafmold in 
a sunny or light shaded place. (pH 5-6)' A thick mulch of stone chips is essential. 
Penstemon tolmiei. A beautiful herbaceous species that forms low leafy clumps of 
broad oval dark glossy green leaves about 3 inches high and erect stems about 8 
inches high, bearing showy spikes of fragrant lavender flowers in May and June. 
It is easy in a well drained garden soil in full sun. (pH 6-8) 
PETALOSTEMUM. Prairie-Clover. (Leguminosae, Pea Family) 
Petalostemum villosum. Soft woolly gray leaves on arching woolly gray stems in grace- 
ful open mounds about 15 inches high. The tip of each branch bears a dense spike 
or cluster of purple flowers in June and July, A spectacular plant for a conspicuous 
place in a sunny rock garden or wall garden. This native of the Dakotas requires 
a well drained, sandy lime soil in full sun. (pH 7-8) 
PETROPHYTUM. (Rosaceae, Rose Family) 
Petrophytum caespitosum. A very tiny prostrate evergreen shrub with tiny round leaves 
that make a dense mat about one inch thick. It has small spikes of white fuzz about 
2 inches high in June and July. A very choice and rare plant especially suited for 
tight rock crevices. It requires a gritty lime soil in sun or light shade. (pH 7-8) 
PHLOX. (Polemoniaceae, Phlox Family) 
Phlox divaricata. (Sweet William Phlox) The common wild blue phlox of our Eastern 
woodlands and fields. It forms large spreading carpets of evergreen leaves on 
trailing or ascending stems usually about 4 inches high. Completely covered with 
lovely clusters of large, fragrant light lavender-blue flowers in May. It makes a 
wonderful cover in shade or partial shade in a rich, gritty acid soil. (pH 5-0) 
Phlox divaricata alba. The rare white flowered variety with light green leaves and big 
pure white flowers. Very easy in a lightly shaded area, 
Phlox nivalis, (Trailing Phlox) A robust. trailer that closely resembles the common 
~ Mountain Pinks in habit of growth. This is the rarely seen true wild form with very 
pale shell pink flowers. It blooms much later than the Mountain Pink. Easy to 
grow in a well drained garden soil in full sun or light shade. (pH 5-8) 
Phlox nivalis azure. A new and still extremely rare variety. It has very large, delicate 
sky blue flowers in April and May and a few throughout the summer. It is not as 
robust as its parent above, but takes the same soil and exposure, 
