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How to Grow and Care for Penstemon Plants

This plant grows best with full sun for most of the dayThis plant requires or will tolerate shade during the heat of the dayThis plant will tolerate some drought, but benefits from periodic wateringHummingbird PlantButterfly FlowerWhite flowering plantRed flowering plantPink flowering plantPurple flowering plantA photograph of Penstemon cambridge is availableHow to Use the Plant Care Icons at The Garden Helper
The Penstemon's brightly colored, tubular flowers are sure to attract lots of Butterflies and Hummingbirds to your garden.
Penstemons are great container plants since they are fairly narrow, but they also look nice placed in groups within your flowerbeds.

Growing Requirements for Penstemon Plants

The Beard Tongue Plant (Penstemon Barbatus) is a semi evergreen, upright perennial that is hardy in USDA zones 4-9.
Penstemons should be planted in full sun, but will tolerate light shade in the late afternoon. They are very tolerant of high humidity and heat.
Plant your Penstemons 12"-18" apart in rich, slightly acidic, well draining soil in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
Water thoroughly! 		Angoor the Garden Gnome
Remove spent flower spikes promptly to induce additional blooms.
After the first frost, cut your Penstemon back to ground level and add a layer of mulch.

Propagating Penstemons

Seeds should be sown in the garden in late fall or early spring.
When started Penstemon seeds indoors, maintain a soil temperature of 55°.
Germination will take place in about 30 days.
A Beard Tongue Penstemon Plant Blooming in the Garden Pink Penstemon Flowers Red Husker Penstemon blooming in the garden
Penstemon 'Cambridge'