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Yellow Pineleaf Penstemon

Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow'

$10.39
$10.39 $12.99
per Plant - 5" Deep Pot
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ZONES  4-9 | Good to grow! Zone
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Penstemon pinifolius Mersea Yellow (Yellow Pineleaf Beardtongue) is an English selection of our native pineleaf Penstemon grown for its bright yellow tubular flowers that cover the plant in late spring/early summer. This small shrub has attractive evergreen, pine-needle like foliage and a tidy mounding for. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric). 12" tall x 15" wide

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Description

This unusual color variant (or "sport") was discovered in an English garden in 1980. Hundreds of soft yellow tubular flowers cover the plant for many weeks in midsummer. Originally, we expected 'Mersea Yellow' to not be as vigorous and heat tolerant as orange-flowered Penstemon pinifolius, but its performance in our gardens has proved otherwise. This plant does appreciate a little extra water and can be grown in both lean and enriched garden soils as long as the drainage is good. Needs afternoon shade in hot desert climates. Yellow Penstemons are a great rarity in this huge genus. 12" tall x 15" wide (cutting propagated).

Flat of 9 plants will cover 12 square feet when planted together

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

Water Tolerance

Low-Water

Bloom Time

Late spring to late summer

Advantages

  • Bee Friendly
  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Attracts Hummingbirds
  • Attracts Birds
  • Native
  • Evergreen
  • Rabbit Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

12" tall

Mature Spread

15" wide

Soil Type

  • Average Soil
  • Sandy Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Native To

North America

Growing Zones

  • Zone 4
  • Zone 5
  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8
  • Zone 9

Neonicotinoid Free

Yes

Can Send To PO Box

No

Ships to Hawaii & Alaska

No

Overall rating: 4.3 / 5 from 10 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: ["size","winter","plant","flowers"].

Review highlights

Reviews

I would buy again. They are nice plants.

"They love the hot sun. Perform well. Actually like a good drink."

— Katt57 (5/5)

Blooms beautifully in the first year

"Bloom beautifully the first year. Check out my photos!"

— Anonymous (5/5)

My favorite plant!

"I xeriscaped my backyard and if the many flowers I put in, this is my favorite. It stays green all year (Front Range, CO), handles drough,cold winters, wet springs, you name it. Grows large and persists with yellow flowers for months in the summer, and is beloved by hummingbirds. I planted with pine leaf penstemon, and the pairing is gorgeous. Strong recommend!"

— Delphulia (5/5)

Great Plant

"We have a couple of these in our garden already, but the local nursery no longer has the yellow variety. Glad I found HCG. The plants came through the mail on time and in great condition (I like the clever protective packing). Good-sized plants for a six-inch pot. The hummingbirds will love them. They're in the ground now and ready for winter. Looking forward to next spring. . . and years to come."

— DBinBend (5/5)

Very pretty, but didn't make it past year 2

"I loved the way the delicate fringe and bright yellow added contrast to the sage and penstemon I had planted. These established and grew well their first season, and looked great in year two. Unfortunately we had a really dry winter and they didn't make it to their third season."

— Two B. (3/5)

Great color & foliage

"I was looking for something yellow and was happy to find this penstemon - it's really cute. The foliage & flowers look very delicate but it survived a very dry first winter and looks great with a good size in its second year."

— Valerie Y. (5/5)

Don't plan on setting them into your garden for 3 years

"Like another reviewer, I found these to be way too small on arrival, especially for the cost. The plants had to be nursed in pots indoors for two years, then nursed more outside in larger pots. They did survive a relatively mild winter, sheltered outside in their pots, and I put one in the bed last summer. It struggled but I think it has finally acclimated to its new home. I believe this is year #3 or #4 (lost count) and one of them is still in a pot outside. They are flowering, but only with tiny yellow flowers. I'll try to bed the second pot this summer, but with trepidation. I love gardening, but this is too much fuss for the end result."

— Susan (3/5)

be patient

"I have 2 of these for 3 years now. The first year they did not do much at all. Last year they looked better, increased in size and bloomed for a month or so. This year I have 2 large clumps, covered with delightful yellow flowers. I have these planted in a fairly dry garden bed that is not included in my winter watering plan. I am considering to purchase more."

— Garden L. (4/5)

Great purchase!

"Nice texture, perfect size 12"" x 15"" with sweet yellow tubular flowers that bloom about 6 -8 weeks. Stays evergreen in Colorado elevation 7400 feet."

— Deb B. (5/5)

Not dying, but not thriving either

"I planted several of these in May and two months later, they are still about the same size. When they arrived, parts of the spiny foliage were brown, but now they are all green. The size has not really increased and they don't look like they are any closer to blooming. No where near mature size. This one really needs the time to establish."

— Christines G. (3/5)

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