Penstemon fruticosus

Shrubby Beardtongue

Plant Type:

SUN PERENNIALS

Penstemon fruticosus – Showy, two-inch lavender blue-purple flowers adorn this perennial subshrub in early summer and may bloom sporadically thereafter. Dark green leaves remain attractive all season long on a slowly spreading slightly mounding form. Shrubby Beardtongue (sounds like a character from Legend or perhaps the Lord of the Rings trilogy!) has settled happily into our full sun rock garden planted in scrabbled and impoverished soil. Cutting grown.


Height:

12-14 in

Spread:

36 in

Colors:

Purple Blue

Characteristics and Attributes for Penstemon fruticosus

Season of Interest (Flowering)

  • Summer

Season of Interest (Foliage)

  • Spring / Summer / Autumn

Nature Attraction

  • Honey Bees & Native Bees

Light

  • Full Sun

Attributes

  • Bank
  • Border
  • Drought Tolerant
  • Edging
  • Foundation
  • Rock Garden

Growth Rate in the Garden

  • Slow

Soil

  • Impoverished
  • Scrabbled
  • Average
  • Sandy
  • Draining
  • Calcareous

Origins

  • Northwestern North America

Propagated By

  • Cutting Grown