Taos Penstemon: A Rare New Mexican Treasure Worth Protecting
Meet Taos penstemon (Penstemon crandallii taosensis), a botanical gem that’s as elusive as it is beautiful. This perennial wildflower is one of New Mexico’s best-kept secrets, and there’s a very good reason you might not have heard of it before – it’s incredibly rare and found in just one small corner of the American Southwest.
What Makes Taos Penstemon Special?
Taos penstemon is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the snapdragon family. Unlike woody shrubs or trees, this charming plant maintains soft, non-woody stems and dies back to its roots each winter, only to emerge again when conditions are right. It’s classified as a forb, which is simply a fancy way of saying it’s a flowering plant that isn’t a grass or woody plant.
This particular penstemon has quite the identity crisis in the botanical world, having gone by several scientific names over the years, including Penstemon crandallii var. taosensis and Penstemon linarioides ssp. taosensis. But don’t let the name changes fool you – it’s still the same rare beauty.
Where Does It Call Home?
Here’s where things get really interesting (and a bit concerning): Taos penstemon is native to New Mexico and appears to be found only in a very limited area around Taos. This extremely restricted range is part of what makes this plant so special – and so vulnerable.
The Rarity Factor: Why You Should Care
Before you get too excited about adding this plant to your garden, there’s something important you need to know. Taos penstemon has a Global Conservation Status that indicates it’s quite rare. This isn’t just another wildflower you can casually toss into your landscape design – it’s a plant that needs our protection.
If you’re absolutely determined to grow Taos penstemon, please, please, please make sure you source it responsibly. This means:
- Never collect plants or seeds from the wild
- Only purchase from reputable native plant nurseries that propagate their own stock
- Verify that any plants you buy were not wild-collected
- Consider growing other, more common penstemon species instead
The Growing Challenge
Here’s where we hit a bit of a roadblock: detailed growing information for this specific subspecies is quite limited. What we do know is that as a native New Mexican plant, it likely prefers the high desert conditions typical of the Taos region – think well-draining soils, plenty of sunshine, and relatively low humidity.
Since information about Taos penstemon’s specific needs is scarce, most gardeners would be better served by choosing other, more widely available penstemon species that can provide similar beauty without the conservation concerns.
Consider the Alternatives
If you’re drawn to the idea of growing penstemons (and who wouldn’t be? They’re fantastic!), there are many other species that would be much better choices for most gardeners:
- Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus) – stunning purple-blue flowers
- Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) – brilliant red tubular blooms
- Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) – tall spikes of fragrant pink flowers
The Bottom Line
Taos penstemon represents something precious in the plant world – a rare, localized species that tells the story of a specific place and ecosystem. While it might be tempting to want to grow this botanical rarity, the most responsible thing most of us can do is appreciate it from afar and support conservation efforts that protect its natural habitat.
If you live in New Mexico and have the opportunity to see Taos penstemon in its natural setting, consider yourself lucky. Take photos, but leave only footprints. And if you’re passionate about growing native plants, there are plenty of other wonderful penstemons that will give you that same satisfaction without the conservation concerns.
Remember, sometimes the best way to love a plant is to let it thrive where it belongs – in the wild landscapes that shaped it over thousands of years.
