Guide to growing garden plants - Penstemon Beard Tongue

Penstemon plants are natives of Northern America and reach from 30 to 90cm in height.

They can be grown in the garden as hardy perennials or half hardy annuals and perennials.

Penstemon bloom in the summer with tubular lipped flowers; these may be blue, pink, purple, white or yellow. A common name for Penstemon is Beard Tongue.

How to grow Beard Tongue

The seeds of Beard Tongue can be sown outdoors in either spring or autumn; the seeds should be sown on the soil surface. Beard Tongue likes to grow in sunny areas (though requires partially shade in hot areas); ideally the soil should be fertile and slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5 to 7), the ground that the plant grows in should also have good drainage.

If starting off indoors ten do so about 9 or 10 weeks before the last frost of spring is expected. The Beard tongue seeds should be germinated in the light at 12 to 18 degrees centigrade; it should take about 3 to 6 weeks. Once ready transfer the young Penstemon plants outside at about 30cm (small species) to 75cm (larger varieties) apart.

Caring for Beard tongue and other Penstemon plants in the garden.

To look after Beard tongue and other Penstemon species it is best to water regularly and dead head the flowers once they have finished blooming. Once the season has finished in the autumn cut the plants down to the ground; it is a good idea to mulch the ground that Penstemon grow in at the same time. If you require more plants they can be propagated by taking stem cuttings; this can be done in either spring or autumn.