Penstemon bearded - garden decoration for the whole summer

Penstemon bearded

Many gardeners know only by hearsay about such a plant as penstemon of the family Norichinaceae. The genus of Pentimons is very large and numbers about 270 species. They come to us from Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and America. These plants vary in height. They can spread like a carpet or reach a height of almost 1 meter, which will be discussed.

Features and reproduction of bearded penstemon

Penstemon bearded, due to its relative unpretentiousness, has become the most widespread genus of penstemons in our strip. Its main requirement is good deep drainage. The plant lives only 3-4 years in dry, warm and bright areas of the garden. But, nevertheless, it always needs moisture, so when planting it is important to add crushed stone or sand under the root. It tolerates the harsh climate of our winters very well and does not need shelter.

Penstemon beardedum is propagated very small seeds. First, they need to be germinated and at the same time carefully monitored so that the seeds do not rot or dry out. Those that have sprouted should be planted, and those that have not sprouted should be moved to the refrigerator for a month. After this, the seeds need to be placed in a warm place where they will germinate. But such scrupulousness does not immediately bear fruit; usually the plant blooms only after a year.

How to distinguish bearded penstemon from another genus of penstemon

  • The stem is erect. Reaches 90 centimeters in height. The smallest plant can be 40 centimeters.
  • Its leaves are lanceolate and very dense.At the nodes of the stems they are collected in pairs.
  • The flowers are small (up to 2.5 cm in diameter), narrow-tubular, on small pedicels. Racemose inflorescences up to 20 centimeters in length.
  • The color of the plant does not shine with variety. We see only pink, scarlet-red and less often white inflorescences of bearded penstemon.

In the garden, bearded penstemon is always a decoration, because it is a beautiful upright branched plant blooms for more than 3 months and stands out for its height among other flowers.

Gardeners value bearded penstemon as an addition to a composition of small or wildflowers.