Penstemon haydenii
Penstemon haydenii, the blowout penstemon or blowout beardtongue, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Penstemon and the family Plantaginaceae. The warm-season perennial is native to nine counties in the Nebraska Sand Hills and a single location in Carbon County, Wyoming. The plant has a milky blue color with a waxy cuticle, pale purple leaves, and an alternating leaf pattern with one central stalk. The flowers, while in the inflorescence stage, originate from the bases of the leaves of the plant. Blowout penstemon flowers from May until early June and drops its seeds from late August into September. P. haydenii grows on bare sand dunes. It is resistant to the abrasive forces of the blowing sands due to its incorporation of a protective thick waxy cuticle. Other plants are often cut down by the scouring sands as they sprout. Another adaptive feature for the blowout penstemon is the lifespan of the seeds. The seeds dropped in late summer can remain viable in a seedbank buried in the sandy soils for decades. Prolonged wet conditions and abrasion are required for breaking dormancy and for seed germination. The plant is primarily an out-crosser, although studies show that it is potentially