keckiella
( kek - ee - ELL - ah )
At-A-Glance Information
Keckiella is a genus of evergreen or deciduous flowering shrubs commonly called Beardtongues or Penstemons that need little to regular water and attract hummingbirds. They tend to be woody, and are native to dry, sloped coastal areas of southern California. They are extremely drought-tolerant and need excellent drainage. Keckiella flowers are snapdragon-shaped and bloom heavily as temperatures rise into the summer months, but then are likely to drop most of their leaves in this season. Keckiella shrubs are hardy down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
|
keckiella Species and Varietals
The genus Keckiella is a member of the Plantain plant family (Plantaginaceae) and includes 7 species. The genus was named for botanist David D. Keck. The best growing zones for Keckiella shrubs are 7-9 and 12-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Keckiella antirrhinoides (Penstemon antirrhinoides)(Snapdragon Penstemon, Yellow Bush Snapdragon, Chaparral Beardtongue) This shrub gets to about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, but can spread a little further. Has an abundant show of fragrant yellow flowers that bloom in late spring and summer. Needs full sun. |
Keckiella cordifolia (Penstemon cordifolius) (Climbing Penstemon, Heart-Leaf Keckiella) This vining shrub gets to about 5 feet tall and wide. Dark green leaves contrast against red unscented flowers in late spring and early summer. This species is native to California and Baja California. Also available in a yellow-flowered variety. Needs full sun or partial shade to perform well. |
Keckiella lemmonii (Penstemon lemmonii) (Lemmon's Keckellia) This species is native to Oregon and California, and grows in chaparral and forested landscapes. It forms a small shrub with mostly unbranched stems to 5 feet tall, and produces lemon-yellow to mauve tubular flowers with wide mouths and reddish markings on their interiors. |
Caring for and pruning keckiella shrubs
Plant Keckiella shrubs in partial shade to full sun and ensure that soil is well-draining. These plants are relatively easy to care for; when young, provide with regular waterings. When established, these shrubs are drought tolerant, only needing supplemental waterings in the warmest months of the year. These plants will go dormant in wintertime, and before spring growth begins again the next year, cut the plant back to about 6 inches tall.
Propagation
Keckiella can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Keckiella by Cutting
Propagating Keckiella by Seed
Propagating Keckiella by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Keckiella by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on these plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large and dangle from the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Problems and Pests
Keckiella shrubs can suffer from the following pests and diseases:
- Aphids
- Spider Mites
- Whiteflies
- Thrips
- Powdery Mildew
- Leaf Spot
- Botryris Blight
Gallery
Videos
Keckiella in its natural habitat.
|
How to prune woody perennials like Keckiella.
|
Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 392, Keckiella
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!