Penstemon peckii

Penstemon peckii is a perennial forb occurring in in clearings and open understories of pine forests, seasonally wet meadows, floodplains, and stream channels of the east slope of the Oregon Cascades Range, in the western United States. This species is locally frequent within a small geographic region composed of three metapopulations and an estimated 247,000 individuals. Primary threats to Penstemon peckii include fire suppression and succession, logging, development, invasive species, recreational impacts, and hydrological alterations and flooding. This species is dependent on a frequent low-intensity fire regime to maintain open habitat and allow seedlings to germinate and establish. Prescribed fire and other management activities undertaken by the U.S. Forest Service in recent years have had a positive impact to populations.

Penstemon peckii is endemic to the western United States, within the east slope of the Oregon Cascades Range, from Deschutes, Hood River, and southern Jefferson counties (FNA 2019). The majority (70%) of the global population of Penstemon peckii is found in the Metolius River watershed. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, CPNWH 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are 32 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2024, CPNWH 2025, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025). However, Penstemon peckii is more or less contiguous within its limited range in an estimated three metapopulations, within which occurrences are likely linked by dispersal (Meinke 1995, Pajutee 2009). These metapopulation clusters occur in the following areas: 1) the Metolius Basin from Abbot Creek to Cache Creek, 2) Indian Ford and Whychus Creek, and 3) Fly Creek on the top of Green Ridge (Pajutee 2009).

Primary threats to Penstemon peckii identified in the U.S. Forest Service's Species Conservation Strategy included fire suppression and succession, logging, development, invasive species, recreational impacts, and hydrological alterations and flooding (Pajutee 2009).

The natural fire regime to which Peck's Penstemon is adapted is estimated to range from 0-50 years. Plants have been known to survive (and even thrive) in places where high intensity wildfires have killed the majority of trees but left soils largely intact. Approximately 25-30% of populations have burned since 1992, either as a result of wildfires or prescribed burns, which has led to increased plant vigor and flowering at burned sites. Succession and increased competition by vegetation was (at least partially) attributed to the extirpation of two small populations and decreased abundance and loss of habitat quality at five larger populations. Timber harvest activities involving heavy soil disturbance, leaving heavy fuels on the landscape, and occurring when plants are in flower are likely to be most destructive to Penstemon peckii. However, not all timber harvest activities adversely impact this species, and plants appear to respond positively to limited forest thinning operations (Mienke 1995, Pajutee 2009). Development associated with recreational activities such as campgrounds, parking areas, and roads have impacted populations (Pajutee 2009). In addition, plants have been impacted by unmanaged recreational activities such as off-road vehicle use, dispersed camping, and new user roads in the Sisters region. At least 17% of populations are known to contain aggressive invasive species such as spotted and diffuse knapweeds. In addition, invasive plants such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) often invade areas recently burned by wildfires. Hydrological alteration of Penstemon peckii habitat by water diversions, channelization, and increased use of ground water due to development is particularly pronounced in the Whychus and Indian Ford Creek watershed regions. In particular, the population at Glaze Meadow is likely impacted by a development which draws its water from the Indian Ford drainage. Meadows at this site no longer have water that sits on the soil surface, which is likely impacting seedling establishment.