Penstemon is a perennial shrub or semi-shrub plant. Belongs to the Norichen family. Its homeland is North and Central America, one species grows in the Far East and East Asia. A flower is still rarely seen in domestic gardens. Covered with bright bluebells inflorescences deserve close attention of gardeners. They are so charming and fragrant that they will surely find their place in the flower garden and will charm not only the owner of the site, but also all its guests. Penstemon blooms just in the interval between spring and summer flowers, filling in itself the voids in the flowerbed. He throws up multi-colored arrows, like a bright firework.
Botanical Description
Penstemon - perennial rhizome plants with 1-4 upright stems up to 0.2-1.2 m high. Rounded or ribbed shoots are painted in bright green or brown-brown color. Lanceolate bright green leaves with a solid edge and a shiny surface are collected at the base in a basal rosette. On shoot they grow opposite, without petioles.
The flowering period falls on May-June, when a long loose inflorescence in the form of a panicle grows at the top of the stem. Small tubular or bell-shaped corollas have a slightly pronounced two-lip shape. Penstemon flower is painted in one or more colors. Petals are pink, red, blue, purple, yellow, white or cream. Often the shade of the pharynx is somewhat lighter. The cup length is 1.5-2.5 cm. Filamentous stamens with darker anthers and an ovary peep out from the center.
After pollination, bivalve seed bolls with very small, angular seeds ripen. Seeds are covered with a rough brown skin. In each gram of seed there are up to 10 thousand units. Germination is maintained for two years.
Species and decorative varieties
The genus of penstemon is very numerous, it includes more than 250 species. However, due to the low popularity in the sale, only some of them are found.
Penstemon bearded. The height of the herbaceous perennial is 70-90 cm. It has straight, sturdy stems that can branch slightly. The shoot is covered with a bright green smooth skin, on it grow opposite lanceolate or ovate leaves with an elongated, sharp edge. In June, a narrow racemose inflorescence 25-30 cm long blooms. Tubular flowers with a diameter of up to 2.5 cm last 1-1.5 months. Their petals are pink or scarlet red. Decorative varieties:
- Coccineus - jagged red flowers flaunt on stems 60-120 cm high;
- Dark Towers - a grassy shrub 10-90 cm high covered with large lilac-green leaves and white-pink tubular flowers;
- Rondo - a plant up to 40 cm high is decorated with red and purplish blue bells;
- Rubycunda - large scarlet flowers with a white throat bloom in mid-July on shoots 50 cm high;
- Iron Maiden - smooth purple stems culminate in an inflorescence with red narrow-tubular buds.
Digitalis penstemon. The view is famous for its high resistance to frost. The height of its shoot is 60-120 cm. The rosette of basal leaves is preserved throughout the year. On long branched shoots, tubular cream or pinkish flowers bloom. Flowering begins in June. Decorative varieties:
- Evelyn - pink inflorescences bloom on bright green shoots;
- Husker red - shoots and leaves are painted in a rich bronze red hue, they are effectively shaded by snow-white tubular flowers.
Penstemon is brilliant. The height of this charming perennial does not exceed 25 cm. At the base of the stem is a bunch of long lanceolate leaves with a rounded edge. The shoots are painted in a bluish-green color. Plants are resistant to frost, and in May-June they bloom a lush blue or purple inflorescence. Flowers with a short tube and wide petals in diameter are 2-2.5 cm.
Growing Penstemon
Penstemon is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. Plants are quite unpretentious and easily tolerate any manipulation. Penstemon cultivation from seeds begins in late February. First you need to get seedlings. Seeds are distributed on the surface of the sand and peat soil in boxes and put in a well-lit, warm room. You can sprinkle small seeds with sand. The soil must be regularly sprayed so that the surface is always moistened. Shoots appear in 10-14 days. Seedlings are grown at a temperature of + 18 ... + 24 ° C. When two true leaves appear, seedlings dive into separate peat pots. With these pots, seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May.
In the southern regions, sowing penstemon seeds directly into the open ground is practiced. It is better to do this in November, then the seedlings will appear in early spring and flowering will occur a little earlier than with spring sowing.
Large penstemon bush can be divided into several parts. To do this, in early spring, you need to dig out the entire curtain, remove most of the earth and disassemble the stems with your hands. Delenki planted in updated soil with a distance of 35 cm.
In May-August they practice cuttings. To do this, cut apical shoots without flowers and root them in moist soil. Seedlings are sprayed, covered with a film and left in partial shade.
Penstemon can be propagated by layering. In spring, some shoots with the help of a slingshot are partially buried in the soil. After 2-3 weeks, the sprout forms its own rhizome and can be separated from the mother plant.
Plant care
Of course, penstemon can adapt to almost any living conditions, but it is worth choosing a favorable environment for it and the bushes will be more abundantly covered with colorful inflorescences.
The location. Plants love sunny open fields, but are afraid of drafts and strong gusts of wind. Penstemon is planted on loose, well-drained soils with an acid reaction. Before planting, the soil is carefully dug up and seasoned with plenty of rotted manure. Heavy soils must be mixed with sand, pebbles and sawdust.
Loosening. It is necessary to weed and loosen the soil regularly so that air penetrates to the roots. Penstemons do not tolerate flooding of the soil and stagnation of water at the roots. For this reason, the plants are sheltered for the winter, and also the excess snow is removed so that excess liquid does not collect during thawing.
Watering. Plants are watered regularly, but so that the surface of the earth dries out between irrigations. In summer, watering is done every other day.
Fertilizer. On fertilized soils, the penstemon bush grows much stronger and blooms more abundantly. It is recommended to use organic top dressing, which make at least three times a year. A few days before flowering, penstemon is additionally watered with a solution with a high phosphorus content.
Pruning. The flower must be pruned regularly. After flowering, wilted inflorescences are removed. Dry foliage is also cut periodically. Autumn is the time for radical pruning. Almost the entire ground part is removed, sometimes leaving a rosette of basal leaves. Every 3-5 years, even with proper care, the shoots are stretched and exposed, and inflorescences are smaller. Therefore, the bushes should be rejuvenated, replacing with new cuttings or seedlings.
Wintering. Penstemon is covered with fallen leaves and lapnik to a height of 10-15 cm. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil, because plants are more prone to soaking than to freezing.
Diseases and pests. Penstemon has strong immunity, but in moist areas it can suffer from fungal diseases. Sometimes a flower affects a disease in which the shoots begin to dry from the top. The infected shoot must be removed. Soon healthy young shoots will appear from the earth. Penstemon parasites do not attack, so you won’t have to worry about protecting against insects.
Garden use
Penstemon grows rapidly and forms a large, sprawling bush, covered with bright inflorescences. It is very decorative, but does not get along well with neighbors in the flower garden. Therefore, it is preferable to grow penstemons at some distance from other flowers or use strong, aggressive plants. The flower is used to decorate borders, rock gardens and large flower beds. Although they do not last long in a cut of its inflorescences, they are very good in bouquets.
