Last updated on January 12th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
Penstemon plants for landscape color. They will bloom from early spring until mid-fall with the majority of flowers showing up all spring long. They tolerate sandy soils which makes them perfect for the southwest. These plants are also called “Beardtongues“. They are deciduous and the flowers can be used as a floral arrangement.
Where to plant Penstemons?
They grow tall best to plant in the background in front of smaller perennials or annuals such as petunias or verbenas. Use them in mass for a neat early spring show of flowers. It is considered a herbaceous perennial (non-woody plant) throughout the southwest. They love full sun and are moderate to low-water plants.
Do Hummingbirds like this plant?
Not only hummingbirds but butterflies also love penstemons. The tubular flowers are perfect for hummingbirds and they are considered perennials in the lower elevations of the American Southwest which means they come back year after year.
Penstemon plants for your landscape.
Red Rocks Penstemon
Penstemon plants for landscape color
The Red Rocks Penstemon has showy spikes of bright rose-red flowers. They have mounded dark green foliage throughout summer. This is a native hybrid and can tolerate poor soils and conditions. It will get about 2 ft. tall but the spikey bloom will shoot out another 1-2 ft. taller.
Penstemon strictus. (Rocky Mountain Penstemon)
There are numerous types of Penstemons. Check out Monrovia’s page about other hybrid Penstemons plants.
Use the Hyssop plant as a companion plant.
How do you rid roses of aphids?
Hello, Marilynn. Aphids love the new shoots of rose plants. You can view a post on Rose bush problems by clicking here. There are organic solutions also on that page also.
Thanks for commenting.
Paul
Hi Paul, My Firecracker Penstomon blumed beautifully this spring but now it looks really bad! Pretty much everything (leaves & bloom stems) has turned brown and dried up. Should I cut it all way back? Could I have watered it too much? Or not enough?
Thanks,
Karla
Hard to say what the problem could have been. Possible mites may have attacked it. Mite damage will turn plants brown then dry up. Can u send photo? To my email address?
Hi, Thanks for answering…for some reason I can’t seem to download my phone pics to this computer. ( I’ve done it before!) I did check closely and did not see any evidence of any kind of infestation.
(to my untrained eye)…We’re leaving for a month starting tomorrow so I just cut it all the way back and will see how it looks when we return. Thanks again!