Lovely Penstemon in the Landscape
Diane Jones, Draggin' Wing Farm, Water-thrifty Plants for Idaho
Scientfic Name: Penstemon venustusCommon Name: Lovely Penstemon, Blue Mt. Penstemon, Venus Penstemon, Beautiful Penstemon
Description: Vigorous evergreen native penstemon with large, gorgeous tubular lavender flowers in late spring. Will often re-bloom in the fall.
Native Habitat: Open rocky outcroppings and gravelly slopes from valleys to subalpine areas in Eastern Oregon & Washington to Central Idaho.
Cultural Requirement
Soil: Rocky, well-drained or ordinary garden soil.
Moisture Tolerance: Low to moderate supplemental water needed.
Sun/Shade/Preference: Full sun.
Transplanting: Easy from containers.
Propagation: Seed or cuttings.
Maintenance (pruning, fertilization, deadheading, division, irrigation, etc): Cut back flower stalks after blooming to assure second round of bloom in the fall.
Insect, disease, or other problems: None of concern.
Landscape Value
Use in the Landscape: Creates a large, showy burst of color in early summer and again in fall.
Foliage: Medium green oblong leaves, mostly along tall flower spikes
Flower: Medium-large tubular flowers on tall spikes.
Timing: May-June.
Color: Lavender/purple.
Form: Large clump of flowering stalks over small green leafy base.
Texture: Open, leafy.
Ultimate Size: 24"-36" x 24"-36"
Rate of Growth: Moderate growth with supplemental water.
Suggested Plant Partners: Cutleaf Daisy, Beautiful Fleabane, Sulfur Buckwheat.
Availability: Available at specialty nurseries.
Cultivars: None.
References:
Parkinson, Hilary et. al., Landscaping with Native Plants of the Intermountain Region, U.S. B.L.M. Technical Reference #1730-3, 2003, p. 10.