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Pike's Peak Purple® Penstemon

Penstemon x mexicali 'P007S'

$10.39
$10.39 $12.99
per Plant - 5" Deep Pot
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ZONES  4-8 | Good to grow! Zone
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• Penstemon x mexicali Pikes Peak Purple® is a superb native hybrid that blooms most of the summer with large concord grape-purple flowers
• The plants are vigorous and have attractive glossy green foliage
• Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric)
• A 1999 Plant Select® selection

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Description

1999 Plant Select Winner 18" tall x 15" wide (cutting propagated). This, the companion to Penstemon Red Rocks with concord grape-colored flowers, Pikes Peak Purple is long blooming and easy to grow. I like to plant it with yellow-flowered perennials like Coreopsis 'Sunray' and Sundrops. This is a vigorous grower that performs best in moderately fertile, but well-drained soils. Will flower most vigorously with regular watering.

Planting & Care

Tips for growing Penstemon (Beardtongue)

Penstemon are generally evergreen and have beautiful flowers that are very attractive to hummingbirds. Most varieties are rabbit resistant.

  1. They need “elbow room,” maximum sun, heat and don’t like to be crowded by other plants.
  2. Plant only in well-drained soils; clay soils and Penstemon are incompatible.
  3. Avoid overly enriched soils; too much compost and fertilizer will shorten their lifespan.
  4. They establish quickly and the amount and frequency of watering needs to be reduced after about 8 to 10 weeks to create dry conditions.
  5. When using drip irrigation, be sure to put the emitter off to the side of the plant, not right on top of the root ball to avoid overwatering the plant.
  6. Plant high, leaving the top of the rootball just above the surrounding soil to avoid burying the crown of the plant.
  7. Mulch with gravel or pine needles in arid climates. No mulch is needed where conditions are moister. Always avoid bark, grass clippings, or compost as mulch materials.
  8. Allow some of the plants to set seed (don't deadhead all of the flower spikes)*.
  9. Fertilize sparingly. One time each year in the fall is enough. Apply a light application of an organic or natural fertilizer such as Yum Yum Mix as a top dressing around the plants. Don't use high nitrogen water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Grow.

*To keep penstemon that have finely textured or matted evergreen foliage looking their best, you'll want to 'deadhead" them. 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. Recommended for the following varieties: P. pinifolius types (‘Compactum', ‘Mersea Yellow', ‘Nearly Red', ‘Magdalena Sunshine' and ‘Tall Orange Mix'), as well as Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon virens ('Blue Lips').

More in-depth guidance for growing Penstemon: Growing Penstemon, The Beardtongue Family: Penstemania for Penstemon.

Shipping

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As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Some perennials are shipped as potted plants, some as perennial roots packed in peat.  The ‘Plant Information’ section describes how that item will ship. All perennials and fall-planted bulbs are packaged to withstand shipping and are fully-guaranteed. Please open upon receipt and follow the instructions included.

Perennials and fall-planted bulbs are shipped at the proper planting time for your Growing Zone. Perennial and fall-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment and all items are shipping to the same address, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service at (801) 769-0300 or contact us by email or chat.

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Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Full Sun

Bloom Time

Late spring to early summer

Advantages

  • Bee Friendly
  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Attracts Hummingbirds
  • Native
  • Long Bloom Time
  • Easy To Grow
  • Cut Flowers
  • Container Planting
  • Rock Gardens
  • Deer Resistant
  • Rabbit Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

18" tall

Mature Spread

15" wide

Soil Type

  • Low Fertility Soil
  • Well-Drained Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Awards

Plant Select®

Growing Zones

  • Zone 4
  • Zone 5
  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8

Ships As

Potted Plant

Can Send To PO Box

No

Ships to Hawaii & Alaska

No

Overall rating: 4.75 / 5 from 12 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [plant, penstemon, flowers, blossoms].

Review highlights

Reviews

Thrived in Zone 5b/6a through every weather

"This is one of the first plants I chose for my purple & orange themed perennial garden. It is THRIVING. The garden is a weird one: along the driveway, south & west facing, retaining wall. Good drainage, punishing heat; slight slope so one end of the garden is mesic, and the other end is more xeric. Soil is what I would describe as loamy, leaning towards sandy loam. This plant handles both ends of the soil moisture and temperatures spectrum with equanimity. We've had Arctic cold (-25F wind chill!) with no insulating snow cover; we've had droughts. We've had record snowfall. This penstemon has toughed it out and just keeps blooming beautifully by the footpaths. It's been such a boon to our wild bee friends. If planting in loamy soils, I recommend planting White Horehound near it. Bees use it as medicine!"

— Rose (5/5)

Resilient after hail storms

"Unfortunately, we have had heavy hail storms move though the area in which I live, more and more frequently. Yes, Pike's Peak Penstemon (both Red Rocks - pink, and Pike's Peak Purple) get demolished. It's sad to see because the are attractive to bees, especially the endangered large old bumblebees. However, they are amazing. They rebound faster from hail devastation than any other plant we have. If you don't have hail, they are still wonderful in that the bees love them. If you do have hail, they will regrow and be back to blossoming sooner than most any other plant in your yard. Red Rocks (pink colored) is a little more vigorous, but Pike's Peak Purple is lovely also."

— Born2Hike (5/5)

I love this plant!

"This plant attracts so many pollinators and looks so lovely. It's hardy, but be ready for it to drop seeds and have lots of happy penstemon coming up! I live in Colorado and feel like this is the healthiest penstemon I have seen around here."

— CSpringsMom (5/5)

What a perfect plant between lots of lavender

"Just adjusting to what works in my new home in southern Oregon, and Pike's Peak is definitely a star. My small front yard presented the challenges of finding plants that tolerate snow and months of freeaing temps as well as 110 degrees for weeks, all with changing sun exposure because of shade from the house, evergreens, and hills. And, I've counted a dozen deer nibbling! So mass lavenders with others such as penstamon are going to be perfect. Looking forward to lavender growing big to nestle fast-growing penstamon. #sweepstakes"

— TheScarfLady (5/5)

Nice plant

"This is a very nice plant. On receipt in early May I planted it in a 3. 5 gallon white bucket with Miracle-Grow potting mix. Very hot here at 6000 feet in New Mexico with highs in mid-90s most of May and June. Plant did well with daily water and began blooming about 6 weeks after it arrived. Pretty purple blooms, a favorite of bees and hummingbirds. No disadvantages so far - hopefully with dead-heading it will continue to bloom or rebloom later in the season. Fewer and slightly smaller blossoms than Penstemon 'Red Rocks', but I would still highly recommend it."

— Dr D. (4/5)

Pretty purple flowers

"One of the plants died but the other 2 are doing fine. I got a second bloom after cutting back spent flowers which was nice. I'm hoping over time they will fill out more."

— JB (3/5)

Hardy plant, can't wait till it blooms.

"A great addition to our Humming bird garden."

— MIke C. (5/5)

arrived healthy and is now struggling in Vegas valley heat

"Want the purple color, love that color"

— Jogo (5/5)

Penstemon are beautiful pollinator plants!

"Penstemon are so beautiful and have brought more pollinators into our landscape."

— Gardening G. (5/5)

Beautiful flowers

"The colors are so pretty! Planted these about 10 months ago in the fall. Zone 5 and they made it through an extra cold winter and a spring/summer that had an unusual amount of rain and hail (glad it was not more). They are kind of tucked in a spot, I probably should have given them more room but they seem to be doing ok! The bees are loving them!"

— Paintypants (5/5)

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