Native Penstemon Plant Profile
Selecting, Caring for and Growing the Native Wildflower Beard Tongue
Penstemon was once prized only in native or wild flower gardens but is now popular for water-wise xeriscapes, hummingbird and mixed border areas as it is very hardy.
Botanical and Common Name: Penstemon is sometimes called by the common name beardstongue or beard tongue.
Plant Category: Penstemon is an herbacious perennial that is hardy to zone 3.
Bloom Time and Color: Penstemon begins blooming in late spring and often blooms for weeks. Deadheading after the first flush of flowers will prolong the bloom time. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and provide a strong, upright accent in the mixed border.
Foliage: Penstemon has lance shaped leaves both around the basal crown and half way up the flowering stems.
Growth Habit and Dimensions: Penstemon is an upright growing perennial plant that usually reaches between 3-5' tall but only 1-2' wide.
Preferred Conditions: Penstemon prefers full sun and well-drained soil as sitting in too much water can cause root rot.
Maintenance: Penstemon doesn't take much maintenance but benefits from deadheading as each flower stalk reaches the end of its peak bloom. Penstemon can benefit from dividing every three to four years.
Pests or Diseases: In overly crowded or humid situations penstemon can suffer from powdery mildew on the foliage. Root rot can also plague beard tongue if the soil holds too much moisture so be sure your penstemon is in a well-draining place.
Propagation Methods: Penstemon is easy to grow from seeds which have a long shelf-life making them popular among gardeners for trading and seed swaps. Gardeners can also get inexpensive plants through division or by rooting out spring cuttings.
Companion Plants: Penstemon is a great addition for water-wise gardens along with coneflowers, lavender and other drought tolerant plants. Bearded tongue also attracts butterflies so try planting verbena and butterfly bush for a butterfly garden extravaganza.
Seasons of Interest: Penstemon provides interest in the garden spring through fall and the dried seed heads can be cut for indoor winter flower arrangements.
Uses in the Garden: Penstemon makes a great mid-level or back of the border perennial plant and will provide great color with little water in areas with light natural rainfall. Penstemon is also a popular perennial for native wildflower gardens since it is native to many areas of North America.
Varieties and Cultivars:
Foxglove Beardtongue or White Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) -P. digitalis can generally take more rainfall than other species so if your garden receives a lot of moisture this would be one of the selections to try although they still need well-draining soil to prevent root rot.
- 'Husker Red' - This white penstemon still has white flowers, or faintly pink blushed flowers, however the foliage is maroon giving the cultivar its name.
Pineleaf Beard Tongue (Penstemon pinifolius) - Zone 4. This penstemon doesn't mind a bit of shade and has fine-cut foliage that really is almost conifer like in looks. The species has a bright red-orange flower that really stands out in the garden.
- 'Mersea Yellow' - A yellow-flowering variety of penstemon this cultivar grows lower to the ground, only reaching 2' tall and is nearly evergreen in many zones.
Cardinal Beard Tongue (Penstemon cardinalis) - This penstemon has bright red flowers that hang gracefully off the flower stalk and are highly attractive to hummingbirds. The leaves of this penstemon are larger than some of the other varieties.
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