General Information

  • Category- Flower
  • Binomial Name- Penstemon
  • Common Names- Beardtongues
  • Spread- 24 inches** (depends upon variety)
  • Height- 12-18 inches** (depends upon variety)
  • Average Production- 100-120 flowers per plant
  • Days to maturity- 180 days*

Environmental Requirements

  • Soil- Well-drained, acidic soil
  • Soil moisture- 20%
  • Soil pH- 6.5-7.5
  • Soil temperature 18 to 32°C
  • Sun Requirements- Full Sun/Partial Sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Spring and Fall (February, March, August)

Tips to Grow Penstemon

  1. Arrange good quality seeds.
  2. The soil should be  well-drained, humus-rich, moist, and acidic. Amend planting plots with compost, peat moss, or a substitute, only if your soil is poor.
  3. Sow the seeds in pots to get sedlings. Space plants 2 to 6 feet apart, depending on their estimated mature size. Fill the hole half full with soil, then water it well to settle the soil before filling with remainder of soil.
  4. Mulch plants every spring with 2 to 5 inches of pine bark chips or pine needles to protect shallow roots and retain soil moisture.
  5. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches at any time of year. On young and old plants, simply snap off spent flower stalks by bending them over until they break away from their stems.
  6. Be careful not to damage growth buds at the base of each flower stalk.

** The values are standard values but might change a bit.

*To get flowers quickly, the users can buy plants from nursery.

Flowers