Penstemon (Beard Tongue)
at Digging Dog
Including Penstemon x mexicali varieties Sunburst Ruby, Red Rocks, & Pike’s Peak Purple
Penstemon
Beard Tongue
Among the most exuberantly blooming plants this side of the Mississippi, Penstemon is part of the enchantment of the West. A member of the Snapdragon family, even cultivated varieties retain a natural air, with dainty, long trumpet flowers and five (pent) prominent stamens.
Sturdy and easily grown, species vary from 1 to 5 ft. tall, and range in color from white to pink to purple to deep wine redone for every sunny spot. Trim after the first bloom to encourage a repeat flowering, and cut to the crown in winter for bushy growth next season. Penstemon ‘Alice Hindley’ 
This vigorous, upright Penstemon will enhance your garden with slender, white-throated lavender flowers and unusually glossy foliage. A little taller than many of the Penstemons we offer, it’s best suited for the middle of the border. We like it with Achillea ‘Mondpagode’.
Blooms July–November. Size: 3' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Alice Hindley (P-0113)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Blackbird’
Elegant and slender, ‘Blackbird’s deep raspberry-colored flowers hang amidst handsome foliage well into the autumn, a stunning accompaniment to the silvery foliage of Lavandula ‘Silver Frost’.
Blooms June–November. Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Blackbird (P-0662)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Blue Midnight’
A tall-standing, bushy Penstemon strictus and Penstemon gloxinioides hybrid that’s full of vigor, ‘Blue Midnight’ entices us with its plushly painted blooms. Ample-sized tubular flowers in deep bluish purple hues display violet-infused, flared petals and white throats darkened by burgundy streaks.
Broad and deep green, the courtly foliage offers a composed foil for the profuse, long-lasting blossoms, while the upper stems transmute red-orange autumnal highlights, extending the colorful show. Zone 6/7.
Blooms June–October. Size: 2-1/2' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 7. Penstemon Blue Midnight (P-1297)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Hidcote Pink’
This Penstemon is turning a lot of heads. Rich, yet soft salmon pink flowers with white throats embellish commanding spikes all summer. ‘Hidcote Pink’ is an ideal midborder choice for blending the forms and colors of other plants. Back it with Buddleia crispa and front with
Geranium ‘Rozanne’.
Blooms June–October. Size: 2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Hidcote Pink (P-0112)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘King George V’
Spikes of large, bright scarlet-red tubular blooms are heightened by maroon-streaked white throats. Holding court above a medium green bushy base with narrow and glossy, tailored foliage, the salsa spiced flowers play out an enticing juxtaposition.
Blooms June–September. Size: 20" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 7. Penstemon King George V (P-1476)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Raven’
Large tubular flowers in a burgundy so lavish and dark they redefine the word “velvety,” enhance this Penstemon. Deep green foliage, red-hued stems and a generous blooming season offer additional enticements, especially when planted with Campanula ‘Prichard’s Variety’ and Rudbeckia paniculata.
Blooms June–October. Size: 2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Raven (P-0858)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Schoenholzeri’
(Penstemon ‘Ruby’)
Lush, deep green foliage and rich burgundy stems create a perfect foil for some of the most sumptuous Penstemon flowers we’ve seen. The calyxes and buds are a wine color similar to the stem, and upon opening, each lively red bloom reveals a white throat with pale pink stripes. Intense scarlet and magenta hues, which appear to glow, highlight the flared tips.
Blooms July–October. Size: 3' high x 2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Schoenholzeri (P-0770)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Stapleford Gem’
Earning the prestigious RHS 1993 Garden Merit Award, this outstanding Penstemon’s large, delicately colored trumpets seems to shimmer with hushed violet-blue-hued petals and paler, purple striated white lower lips and throats. Waxy green, lance-shaped leaves densely cloak the robust lush-looking foundation while wine-red stems add warm accents.
Blooms June–September. Size: 2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 4. Penstemon Stapleford Gem (P-1479)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon ‘Thorn’
The cultivar name for this Penstemon is deceptive. With deep green foliage, upright stalks that withstand wind and rain, and bright white tubular blooms, which look like they were dipped in raspberry jam, ‘Thorn’ is cheerful and vigorous. The rose-red blossom tip fades to a blush after the flower opens. Accent these color changes and take advantage of size by blending with Geranium x magnificum, Lavandula ‘Sawyers’ or Aster ‘October Skies’ in the middle or front of the border.
Blooms July–November. Size: 2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon Thorn (P-0169)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon Chiapas sp.
With striking small purple flowers and bold, light green opposite foliage, this sturdy Mexican native stands head and shoulders above the rest of our Penstemons. Impressed by its stature and drought tolerance, we collected it at U.C. Davis’ Perennial Demonstration Garden nearly twenty years ago.
Situate Penstemon Chiapas sp. alongside Salvia ‘Purple Majesty’ and a regal violet medley is yours to enjoy!
Blooms July–October. Size: 4'–5' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 9. Penstemon Chiapas sp. (P-0111)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Züriblau’
Colored with many shades of blue, this handsome, bushy Penstemon offers soothing tones. Topping the narrow, bluish green foliage and red-hued stems, short, showy spikes bear a profusion of slim, bright blue tubular flowers, which look exquisite against silver-leafed Veronica ‘Silbersee’.
Blooms June–August. Size: 20" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 5. Penstemon heterophyllus Züriblau (P-0207)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon virgatus ‘Blue Buckle’
Stiff Beard Tongue
Standing proudly, the stiff upright stems showcase crowded clusters of large blue-violet blooms with lighter purple markings. Rising above gleaming and narrow dark green leaves, its uninhibited floral display promises to attract people and hummingbirds alike.
Just right for edging a path, in the rockery or gracing a container, this impressive low growing perennial is a recent Jelitto Seeds introduction whose stalwart nature can easily handle heat, drought and cold.
Blooms July–September. Size: 15" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 6. AVAILABLE MAY 2008
Penstemon virgatus Blue Buckle (P-1192)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon x mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’
A graceful Bruce Meyers selection, this cross originated between wild Mexican and American Penstemons. The flowers appear in droves with as many as 20 to 30 per stem, and are slightly smaller than the more common varieties. With rich violet-purple petals and a white throat, each bloom is a lovely point of color in our native garden.
One of our most cold-hardy Pentstemons, ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ will also tolerate a wide range of soil moisture.
Blooms late July–early November. Size: 3'–4' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 5. Penstemon x mexicali Pike’s Peak Purple (P-0663)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon x mexicali ‘Red Rocks’
Another versatile Bruce Meyers selection, ‘Red Rocks’ forms the same pleasing vase shape as ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’, and like that cultivar, is nearly evergreen. The bright cherry-pink flowers are
white-throated and lend a cheerful look to our border well into fall.
Blooms late July–early November. Size: 3'–4' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 5. Penstemon x mexicali Red Rocks (P-0664)
Each $6.00
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Penstemon x mexicali ‘Sunburst Ruby’
Arising from a Jelitto Seeds cross between a Mexican and a U.S. species, this compact, ruby-red beauty asserts an enduring versatile nature.
Undaunted by winter cold, summertime heat and humidity, ‘Sunburst Ruby’ bursts into bloom, announcing a wealth of richly colored tubes brightened by white throats.
A stalwart yet poised leafy base features sturdy stems and glistening slender green foliage that maintains a handsome presence throughout the season, and can be associated with Geranium ‘Orion’ and Helianthemum ‘St. Mary’s’.
Blooms June–September. Size: 16" high x 16" wide; hardy to zone 6. Penstemon x mexicali Sunburst Ruby (P-1342)
Each $6.00
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