Description of 20 varieties and types of perennial penstemon, planting and care in open ground

Perennial penstemon has a rather bright appearance and a pleasant aroma; it can decorate any area where it grows. This flower is simply a record holder for the number of varieties and colors, among which every gardener can choose an option to his liking.

Description and features

Penstemon is a perennial shrub and subshrub plant from the Norichnikov family. The flower's homeland is North and Central America. The bush has from 1 to 4 erect stems, the height of which varies from 20 cm to 120 cm. They have a bright green or brownish-brown color. The foliage is lanceolate with entire edges and a shiny surface.

Flowering occurs in May-June, some representatives continue until October, such as the Carillo purple variety. The flowers are tubular or bell-shaped. They can be single-colored or painted in several colors at once. Life expectancy depends on the specific variety; some varieties live 2 years, others can live 7 years. They are well pollinated by bees.

Popular varieties and types

These plants number about 270 species. In our area, these flowers are not yet very popular, so only a few of them are on sale.

Foxglove

The variety has high frost resistance. Grows up to 120 cm. It has cream or slightly pink inflorescences, which are always white inside. Blooms in June or early July.

Dark Towers

This variety was developed relatively recently. It is distinguished by an abundance of flowering and increased frost resistance. The foliage of the Dark towers variety has a rich burgundy color that goes well with soft pink flowers.

Carilo Red

Has green foliage and stems. It grows no more than 60 cm in height. It has bright scarlet flowers. Flowering period from June to October.

Harwega

This is one of the most popular varieties. The plant grows up to 60 cm. The inflorescences are large, can be of different colors, but are usually white in the middle. It blooms in early June and blooms until the first frost.

Davidson

This species is creeping, it is one of the shortest, it grows only 20 cm. It blooms with blue or lilac inflorescences. The foliage is small and oval in shape.

Mystic

Penstemon Mystic has purple-green foliage. It blooms with pale pink racemose inflorescences. Has a pleasant aroma. The plant grows up to 70 cm.

Campanulate

The variety received this name due to its flowers. They are shaped like pink-lilac bells. The foliage and stems are light green. Blooms from June to September.

Hybrid

A bushy type of penstemon that grows up to 80 cm. It blooms for about a month, but with timely pruning it blooms again at the end of summer. Inflorescences are blue.

Coarse-haired

Grows up to 90 cm. The leaves and stem are covered with small but fairly stiff hairs. Hence the name of the variety. The bush blooms at the beginning of summer and continues flowering for a little over a month.

Sensation

This variety does not grow more than 45 cm. The foliage is sharp with a bright green color. The flowers are always white-blue or white-red.

Rubra

Rubra is a tall variety with tubular flowers. They can be of different colors, the most common being red, pink, purple and burgundy shades.

Pygmy

A low-growing representative, reaching only 20 cm. The foliage is lush, dark green. The inflorescences are racemose with a soft lavender color. Blooms from June to August.

Kobo

One of the tallest varieties of penstemon flower. It grows up to 120 cm. It has light green foliage with sharp ends. The flowers of the variety are large and can have different colors, always with white, namely: violet, pink, purple, red and completely white.

Redleaf

This penstemon has large, blade-like leaves that are dark burgundy in color. The height of the plant is about 70 cm. The flowers are bell-shaped and are purple, pink, white and red.

Alpine

This is a ground cover, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm. It forms an elastic cushion on the soil with blue, purple or light blue inflorescences. In the right soil, the flower can survive frosts down to -30 degrees.

darkleaf

This flower blooms all summer. It has dark burgundy foliage with narrow tips and white-pink inflorescences.

Pine leaf

This bush has thin leaves similar to pine needles. They are densely located on the stem. The flowers are often red, less often yellow.

Hasker red

Frost-resistant variety, growing up to 90 cm in height. The foliage is red with a bronze tint. The flowers are airy with a white-pink tint. Flowering time is June-July.

Twisted

A variety with wide leaves, sometimes with a red tint. Its flowers are collected in spreading panicles of bluish-purple color. Blooms in June-July, sometimes blooms again in September.

Growing seedlings

In order to grow penstemon, you will have to make an effort and be patient.

Deadlines

The most suitable period for sowing seeds for seedlings is considered to be the end of February - beginning of March.

Soil preparation

The soil for sowing seeds should be light, nutritious and well-drained. Sow the seed in slightly moist soil.

How to plant

The containers are filled with soil and future seedlings are sown in them. Sprinkle a thin layer of disinfected sand on top. To do this, just pour boiling water over it.

You should not deeply bury the seeds, this will reduce their germination.

The top of the container is covered with polyethylene or glass to create a greenhouse. Place in a warm, bright place.

Watering

It is important that the soil does not dry out, otherwise the seeds will not germinate well or at the same time.From time to time, the seedlings are opened, ventilated and sprayed with a spray bottle. The germination process lasts from 1 to 3 weeks depending on the variety of penstemon.

Picking

After 10-15 days, the sprouts have already formed 2-3 true leaves. This means that they need to be dumped into separate containers with peat.

Transfer

Already grown plants are transplanted into open ground. This process is carried out at the end of May. The site should be sunny and draft-free.

Important! The sooner you plant penstemon in open ground, the later it will begin to flower.

Compost, peat or sand are added to the dug holes, and fine gravel is also used. When planting seedlings, you should maintain a distance of 30-35 cm between plants.

Mulching

The soil around the flowers can be mulched to reduce the amount of watering. To do this, use dry peat or compost.

Top dressing

Organic fertilizers are applied to the bush as top dressing. This is done 3 times per season. And before the plant begins to bloom, it is fed with complex mineral fertilizers that contain phosphorus. This feeding has a positive effect on flowering, enhancing it and making the bush more decorative.

Bloom

The flowering period for each variety occurs at different times, but most often it is June. This process continues until the end of summer, and in some varieties even until the first frost. The beginning of flowering is influenced not only by the variety, but also by the time of planting, the soil in which the flower grows, and its care. After the plant has flowered, seeds begin to form, which are used for propagation.

Trimming

During the development of the flower, pruning must be carried out periodically. Trim off faded inflorescences and foliage.They also thin out overgrown bushes. This will increase the decorative value of the plant and extend the flowering period.

Preparing for winter

Winter frosts below -10 degrees can have a detrimental effect on most penstemon varieties. In order to preserve the plants, after flowering ends, their stems are cut off at the root and insulated with dry leaves or spruce branches.

Diseases and pests

Penstemons are resistant to disease, but if the plant is systematically flooded or water stagnates under the bushes for a long time, fungal diseases, in particular gray rot, can develop. In order to cure the plant, the soil under the bush is loosened and watered with fungicides.

Sometimes drying out of the top of the plant occurs. In order to get rid of this problem, you need to completely cut off the bush. Without doing this, you may lose the plant. When pruned, the penstemon will quickly recover and send out new shoots.

This flower is of no interest to insects, so they attack it extremely rarely.

Reproduction

Penstemon can be propagated in several ways:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• dividing the bush;
• seeds.

Cuttings

This breeding method is carried out in mid-summer. At this time, the shoots of the bush are already quite strong. In order to prepare cuttings, you need to select stems without inflorescences and cut them. The length should be about 25 cm.

Next, the cuttings are immersed in water with root formation stimulants dissolved in it. When roots begin to appear on the cuttings, they are planted in open ground, covered with cut plastic bottles.

By layering

Plants can be propagated using layering only for low-growing and creeping specimens. It is necessary to tilt the outermost shoot, secure it with a bracket and cover it with soil.After 25-30 days, roots form on the layering; now the shoot is cut off from the mother bush, dug up and transplanted to a permanent place in a prepared hole.

Dividing the bush

In order to obtain material for planting, you need to dig up a bush of an adult plant. It is carefully freed from the soil and divided into 2-3 parts. For each part, dig a hole, apply fertilizer and plant it.

Having chosen this option for breeding penstemon, it is important to know that it is suitable only for those representatives who have reached the age of three. Otherwise, the entire bush will die.

Dividing the bush is also used to rejuvenate plants. It is necessary for specimens that have reached the age of five. If such rejuvenation is not done, then the bush begins to age, the formation of new shoots stops, the bush may stop blooming and lose its decorative effect.

Collection and storage of seeds

After the penstemon fades, the fruit ripens. It is a box containing tiny seeds. After collection, the seeds are stored in a paper bag in a dry, warm place. Under such conditions, the seeds remain viable for 2 years.

Use in landscape design

Penstemons look great in any composition, as they have a wide variety of colors, come in different sizes and bloom for a long time. In mixborders they look great with cloves, echinacea, catnip, mantles, sage and other plants.

They are used for flower beds, ridges, alpine slides, for edging borders, and penstemons are planted in pots and decorated with balconies and terraces.