Fact sheet: Long-term responses of Penstemon Clutei (Sunset Crater beardtongue) to root trenching and prescribed fire: Clues for population persistence

Penstemon clutei (Sunset Crater beardtongue) is a rare plant species that grows on volcanic soils northeast of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. It is primarily restricted to tephra deposits from the Sunset Crater eruption at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet and is typically found in open ponderosa pine forests and pinyon-juniper woodlands in areas containing a sparse understory. Its conservation status is ranked "imperiled" (G2) by NatureServe, a non-profit conservation organization, and it is on the U.S. Forest Service sensitive species list for Region 3 (Southwestern Region). Observations in the field suggest a positive link between disturbances (events that disrupt the ecosystem such as fire, logging, tornadoes, and death of trees by bark beetles) and reproduction and colonization. Published information on the ecology of this species is limited to about a half-dozen studies