Golden-beard penstemon

Golden-beard penstemon: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low leaf rosette with upright, slender flower stems 60–100 cm tall; 30–45 cm wide.

Leaves

Lance-shaped, smooth and grey-green, mainly in a basal rosette; smaller and narrower up the stem.

Flower

Nodding, tubular flowers of 2–3 cm in a loose, one-sided spike, from June to August.

Colour

Scarlet with a yellowish-haired lower lip; pink and coral cultivars also exist.

Roots

A compact rootstock that rots quickly in wet soil.

Flowering: June–August · Sowing: February–March · Plants: April–May · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• Flowers from June to August with graceful red, tubular blooms on long, slender stems.
• Very drought-tolerant: ideal for a gravel garden, rock garden or sunny, dry border.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the flowers.
• Takes up little ground space and adds height without looking heavy.
• Low-maintenance: no feeding, little water and one cut in spring.

Golden-beard penstemon: where does it grow best?

• Full sun, preferably a warm, south-facing spot.
• Free-draining sandy or loamy soil; acid, neutral or chalky does not matter.
• Dry soil: in winter water must never stand around the roots.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, ideally on a slope, in a raised bed or between stones.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Mexican feather grass: Fine, swaying stems that make the red flowers seem to float, in the same dry soil.
• Lavender: Grey leaves and purple spikes beside red tubes, both for sun and drought.
• Woodland sage: Blue-purple spikes in the same months, also loved by bees.
• Catmint: A soft blue skirt below the slender stems.

Golden-beard penstemon: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, once the soil has warmed up.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in coarse sand or fine gravel.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, with the rosette at soil level and no deeper.
4. Leave 30–40 cm between plants.
5. Water in well and spread a layer of gravel around the base, not compost or bark.

Care

Watering

In dry weather during the first weeks after planting. After that only in prolonged heat; never in winter.

Feeding

Not needed. In poor soil the stems stay sturdier and the plant lives longer.

Mulching

A layer of gravel around the neck keeps the rosette dry in winter.

Deadheading

Cut faded stems back to the rosette; new flower stems often follow.

Support

Not needed in poor soil. If the stems flop, the soil is too rich or the spot too shady.

Tip: Spread a layer of gravel around the base instead of compost or bark: the leaf rosette stays dry in winter and the plant survives wet winters much better.

Golden-beard penstemon: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: Prune in April, when you see new growth at the base. Not in autumn: the old stems protect the rosette in winter.

How:

• In summer, cut faded flower stems back to just above the leaf rosette.
• In April, remove the old, dead stems to just above the new leaf rosettes.
• Carefully pull dead or rotting leaves out of the rosette.

Caution: Never cut into the leaf rosette itself: that is where the plant regrows from.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in February–March at 15–20 °C, lightly covering the seed. Plant out after mid-May; the plants often flower in their second year.

Cuttings

In August–September, take 7–10 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots, insert them in sandy cutting compost and overwinter them frost-free. Good insurance, as the plant often lives only a few years.

Golden-beard penstemon: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C, but only in dry soil: wet winters are its biggest problem.
• Do not cover the rosette with leaves or compost, and leave the old stems until April.
• In a pot: move it under a canopy or against a wall in winter, out of the rain, and do not water.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: The rosette turns brown and mushy in winter. The cause is wet soil. Replant in a drier spot, in gravel or on a slope.
• Slugs: They eat the rosette and young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening or set a beer trap.
• Flopping stems: In soil that is too rich or in too much shade the stems go weak. Do not feed and choose a sunnier spot.
• Short life: After a few years the plant weakens or disappears. Take cuttings or sow in good time.

Through the year

• February: Sow indoors.
• March: Sow indoors. Prick out seedlings.
• April: Cut old stems back to above the new rosettes. Planting.
• May: Planting. Plant out seedlings after mid-May.
• June: Flowering begins.
• July: Full flower. Cut off faded stems.
• August: Last flowers. Take cuttings.
• September: Take cuttings and keep them frost-free.
• November: Clear fallen leaves from the rosette. Leave the old stems standing.
• December: Rest. Keep potted plants dry.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Penstemon comes from Greek and means ‘five stamens’: the flower has five, one of which produces no pollen.
• Barbatus means ‘bearded’ and refers to the yellow hairs on the lower lip of the flower.
• In the wild the red, tubular flowers are pollinated mainly by hummingbirds.