How to Grow Beard Tongue (Penstemon)

Penstemon is a small, shrubby plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and as wide. The flowers are often narrow and bell-shaped - almost like foxgloves - and bloom in shades of pink, purple and deep red. Some, such as 'Husker Red', are hardy to Zone 3, but most cultivars (varieties) are hardy from Zones 6 to 9 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (see Related Sites).

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bypass Pruners
• Garden Hoses
• Garden Spades
• Hand Cultivators
• Plants

Choosing Penstemon

1. Buy penstemon in 4-inch containers and all the way up to gallon sizes at nurseries.

2. Buy the plants in summer when they're in bloom, so you can pick out the color you want.

3. Choose healthy-looking plants that have leaves all the way to the base.

Planting Penstemon

1. Plant in well-drained soil in a sunny spot in the garden.

2. Add some organic fertilizer to the planting hole, and water well.

3. Break up the roots at the bottom using a hand cultivator - a tool that looks like a claw - if the plant is pot-bound.

4. 

   Grow penstemon in the border or rockery of your garden.

5. 

   Plant against a sunny wall for protection if you live in Zone 6 or 7.

Caring for Penstemon

1. Add a light application of an organic fertilizer on the ground around the plant every spring.

2. Water weekly the first summer, especially if the plant is in a very hot, dry spot. But be careful not to overwater - penstemon are drought-tolerant once established.

3. Cut back each stem after flowering to a place just above a set of leaves that show new growth. You may get another flowering later in the summer or early fall.

4. Wait until all chance of a freeze is over, then cut back your penstemon, leaving stems that are just 6 inches long. This way, the plant will bush out and have a more compact form.