PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

• Penstemon, Smooth
• (Penstemon digitalis)
• Fall Foliage, Native Bees, Pollinator, Rain Garden, U.S. Native
• Smooth Penstemon is also known as Foxglove Beardtongue.

Smooth Penstemon is a most attractive wildflower producing elegant clusters of pure white flowers tastefully lined with purple that bloom for a month or longer and is one of the few Penstemons that thrives in clay! A lovely addition to fresh floral arrangements, Penstemon digitalis grows to two or three feet tall in all soil types, in full sun or light shade and its tubular flowers attract long-tongued bees such as honeybees, bumblebees and mason bees as well as hummingbirds.

White, Blooms in Early Summer, LIght: Full Sun to Part Shade, Height: 2' - 3', Soil: Sand to Clay, Water: Medium to Moist

• Attracts Butterflies, Honeybees, Hummingbirds & Songbirds!
• Claybuster!
• Deer Resistant!
• Makes Great Cut Flowers! 
• It is native to the eastern and Midwestern U.S. and is typically found in open woods, meadows and prairies.

• It grows to just three feet tall, and the abundant, white flowers occur in mid-spring to early summer.
• Can be planted in full sun or light shade.
• Recommended for home gardens, rain gardens and meadow plantings.
• Also a great addition to pollinator mixes because of its early bloom time.
• Attracts hummingbirds, bumblebees, mason bees and smaller wild bees.
• It is a host plant for Chalcedon Checkerspot and Edith’s Checkerspot.

FAST FACTS

• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Penstemon digitalis
• COLOR(S): White
• SEED TYPE: Perennial
• SUN: Full Sun, Partial Shade
• MOISTURE: Moderate
• HEIGHT (IN.): 2-3 feet
• BLOOM PERIOD: Spring, Summer
• USDA HARDINESS ZONE(S): 3-9

HOW TO GROW PENSTEMON FROM SEED

ABOUT PENSTEMON

SEEDS must be COLD STRATIFIED in order to germinate

HOW TO COLD STRATIFY SEEDS

Everyone wants plants. Now. But there are a small group of seeds that require a special treatment before they will even germinate in a climate that has temperatures below freezing. This process is called “Cold Stratification.” There are two ways to accomplish this.  There are many ways to cold stratify.  You can use our instructions or google for other instructions.

Fall Planting

If time is not a problem, you can put them in the ground in fall and let them go through a winter. They will sprout next year, but not flower. The following year, having gone through two winters, they will return and bloom as expected.

If you are planting poppies direct sowing is recommended in late fall or early spring for zones 2-8

Create a "False Winter"

The second way to do this, if you want to save time, is to create a “false winter.”  What this does is trick the seeds into thinking they have been in the ground for an entire year.  All they need is to be in your refrigerator for at least 2 ½ months.

About 3 months before spring, place seeds in a plastic bag with a handful of slightly dampened, clean peat, paper towel, or a mix of clean peat and sand.

Seal and label the bag with seed name and date, then store in the refrigerator (not freezer) for at least 2½ mos. before planting in spring. (The cold period mimics a full winter’s cold.)

Once your seed has been treated, it’s ready to plant when spring arrives.

One important thing to know is that germination is poor for the seeds. Again, this is an adaptation to its poor growing environment. In the wild, only a few seeds will germinate each year. The rest will be dried and waiting in the soil. This ensures that if a crop of seeds germinates into plants that don’t survive the growing season for some reason like too much rain, too hot, or too cold, that there will be a stock of seed in the ground that can germinate the following year and renew the plant population. So when planting the seed, always plant more than you will need. Not all of the seeds will germinate.

ABOUT PENSTEMON

A perennial sometimes called Beardtongue, Penstemon plants will reward you with brilliant non-stop blooms with deep bronze-green foliage.

These flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies into the garden with beautiful tubular purple flowers.

WHEN TO PLANT PENSTEMON SEEDS

Cold Stratifying

Many penstemon seeds require a long cool, moist stratification time before they will germinate.

Cold stratification consists of growing the seed in a moist medium at temperatures just above freezing.

This is especially true for northern species.

Sow seeds indoors in starter trays or small pots in late winter. (Or direct sow after first frost in fall).

After the danger of frost has passed, harden off the seedlings and transplant them into your garden.

WHERE TO PLANT PENSTEMON SEEDS

Penstemon thrives in full sun or partial shade in fertile, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils.

These plants are drought tolerant once established and are perfect for beds, borders, rock gardens, and cut flowers!

HOW TO PLANT PENSTEMON SEEDS

Press flower seeds into soil, but do not cover. The seeds need light to germinate. Keep seeds moist until germination, or 14-30 days.

HOW TO CARE FOR PENSTEMON

Penstemons need very little water and barely any fertilizer.

Fertilize when planting only. Deadhead after flowering to maintain vigor and cut back to the base in early spring.