by David Salman

Penstemon ‘Blue Lips' is a High Country Gardens introduction (new plant to the gardening world) for 2009. While many gardeners judge a plant by only by its flowers, ‘Blue Lips' is an excellent example of a perennial that is both dazzling in flower and sublimely beautiful with just its foliage.
‘Blue Lips' is a hybrid plant I found in my home xeriscape some four years ago. It is a cross between Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon crandalii. Its fabulous foliage comes from P. linariodes and its profusion of lavender and blue flowers are from parent, P. crandalii. It should prove to be a long lived, small shrub-like cultivar.
To keep the evergreen foliage of ‘Blue Lips' at its best, shear off the fading flowering spikes just as the plant is going out of flower. Gently bunch the flower spikes together with one hand and cut them off at the point where they go down into the mat of foliage with your clipper in your other hand. This process is known as "deadheading."
A prompt deadheading will help the foliage grow out to form a thick mound of finely textured, blue-gray foliage that looks great summer and winter! After the plant has been groomed, it will continue to grow out along the edges, the stems rooting as they move out across its space in the garden. Next year, the plant will have many more stems on which next spring's flowering stems will emerge.
Other High Country Garden Penstemon that have finely textured or matted, evergreen foliage and benefit from the same deadheading technique include all the Penstemon pinifolius types (‘Compactum', ‘Mersea Yellow', ‘Nearly Red', ‘Magdalena Sunshine' and ‘Tall Orange Mix', Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon virens.
Blanca Peak™ White Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) is an award-winning white-flowered selection of our native Rocky Mountain Penstemon. Large, tubular flowers are a favorite nectar ...
Learn MoreBlanca Peak™ Rocky Mountain Penstemon Blanca Peak™ Rocky Mountain Beardtongue Penstemon strictus 'WWG06'$10.99 Sale $10.44Sale Price I Save 5%Per Plant - 5" Deep PotBlanca Peak™ White Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) is an award-winning white-flowered selection of our native Rocky Mountain Penstemon. Large, tubular flowers are a favorite nectar source for bumblebees. Plant this easy-to-grow beardtongue for a sturdy, long-lived late-spring bloomer in your xeriscape. This beauty thrives in most well-drained soil with full sun exposure. A 2021 Plant Select® Winner. A High Country Gardens Introduction.Learn MoreA soft orange-flowered selection of pineleaf beardtongue, SteppeSuns® Sunset Glow Penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius) is a native cultivar that starts flowering in late spring and attr...
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