Learn to care for these beautiful cottage-style blooms.
Penstemons are lovely additions to the garden.
With a rainbow of colors and hundreds of species to choose from, they are remarkable in their diversity.
Credit: The Wilde Project
Penstemons aretough perennialsthat stand up to intense growing conditions.
The blooms look stunning in a garden setting and make a wonderful addition to acut flower arrangement.
Along with their bright blooms, many penstemon varieties also have colorful foliage to add to the mix.
Credit: The Wilde Project
Penstemon plants generally grow best in infertile, well-draining sandy or gravelly soil.
They don’t tolerateclay soilor rich soil.
How and When to Plant Penstemon
Sow penstemon seeds outdoors in fall or winter.
Credit: Matthew Benson Photography
The seeds require a period of cold weather, calledstratification, before germination.
Plants grown from seed may not bloom in the first season.
A quicker method to acquire flowering penstemon is to buy nursery plants.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Penstemon Care Tips
Light
Penstemon plants needfull sunlightto perform their best.
In summer, they tolerate temperatures into the 90s.
They grow in a range of humidity levels, depending on the variety.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Fertilizer
Don’t give penstemons compost or aged manure; they are too rich for the plants.
Instead, apply an organic fertilizer only once a year, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
A too-damp environment can lead to botrytis leaf mold orpowdery mildew.
Credit: Mike Jensen
Provide good air circulation around the plants, and don’t water the plants from the top.
A microscopic nematode called an eelworm can inhabit the soil around the plant’s roots.
Little can be done for the plant at this point; it is best to remove and destroy it.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Before planting new plants,replace the soilin the area where the infested plant grew to prevent reinfection.
How to Propagate Penstemon
Penstemon can be propagated by division, stem cuttings, and seed.
To propagate by division:Dig upa mature penstemon in early spring.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Cut apart the root system, ensuring each division has a portion of the roots.
Plant the divisions back in the garden, water them, or plant them in containers to give away.
Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
Credit: Stephen Cridland
Dip the bottom of the cutting inrooting hormoneand insert it into planting medium containing sand and perlite.
Lift the bag daily, misting if the planting medium is dry.
If so, repot in a slightly moistpotting mixture.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
If not, return them to the pot and check again in a couple of weeks.
After it is dry, pinch the seed head to release the seeds.
Plant them outdoors in the fall, as you would with purchased seeds, for plants the following season.
Types of Penstemon
New penstemon varieties are being produced constantly.
There is also work to createcontinuous-blooming annuals.
Common Penstemon
Penstemon barbatusblooms with narrow spikes of two-lipped tubular flowers about 2 inches long in spring.
The plant can reach 3-5 feet tall.
Notably drought-tolerant, this plant can grow up to 18 inches tall.
The lance-shaped leaves are deep maroon in color, 4-5 inches long, and arranged in a basal rosette.
It grows about 2-1/2 feet tall.
Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s ears is atop pick for a groundcoverin a hot, baked spot.
Catmint
Catmint is one of thetoughest perennials you’re able to grow.
Deadhead or cut back hard after the first flush of bloom to encourage more flowers.
Average, well-drained soil is usually sufficient.
Tall types may need gentle staking; it sometimes seeds freely.
The 20 percent with red, pink or yellow flowers have evolved to be pollinated by hummingbirds.
While doing so, they might inadvertently pollinate the penstemon.
Finally, the bad news.
The flowers have a barely perceptible scent.
Even worse, the seeds have a noxious smell, sometimes described as vomit or urine.
Due to the bitter taste of their foliage, most varieties are deer- and rabbit-resistant.
