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Cardinal Penstemon

Penstemon cardinalis

$14.99
$14.99 $0.00
per Plant - 5" Deep Pot
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ZONES  5-8 | Good to grow! Zone
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• Penstemon cardinalis (Cardinal Beardtongue) is a rare, cold hardy wildflower from the southern mountains of New Mexico
• Tall, impressive spikes of dark red flowers bloom in mid-summer, making this a favorite source of natural nectar for hummingbirds
• A must-have for your pollinator garden
• Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric)

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Description

(24-36” tall x 15-18” wide) Cardinal Penstemon is a must for the pollinator garden, attracting hummingbirds with its mid-summer display of dark red tubular flowers. A husky plant with big dark green leaves and tall flower spikes, this perennial fits nicely in the back of the border. One of the latest blooming Beardtongues, it’s a nice companion to plant with earlier blooming varieties, such as Penstemon strictus and Penstemon eatonii, to keep the hummingbirds and bumblebees well-fed with nectar. Plant it in a sunny spot with infertile sandy or loam soil. Deer, rabbit, and gopher resistant. Other recommended companion plants include Silver Spike Grass (Achnatherum), Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium), Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida), and Black Eyed Susan (Rudbekcia).

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

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

Xeric

Bloom Time

Mid to late summer

Advantages

  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Attracts Hummingbirds
  • Native
  • Low Maintenance
  • Cut Flowers
  • Rock Gardens
  • Deer Resistant
  • Rabbit Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

24-36" tall

Mature Spread

36" wide

Soil Type

  • Average Soil
  • Sandy Soil
  • Low Fertility Soil
  • Well-Drained Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Spring / Summer

Growing Zones

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

Neonicotinoid Free

Yes

Ships As

Potted Plant

Can Send To PO Box

No

Ships to Hawaii & Alaska

No

Overall rating: 4.285714 / 5 from 7 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

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Reviews

Great Plant

"I purchased my first Cardinal Penstemon from High Country Gardens over 20 years ago. It is still thriving. I now grow these from seed every year. They are a great plant for every garden. In the valley they bloom all through July."

— Dj (5/5)

Heat intolerant?

"These have an interesting bloom time in late June/early July in my location kind of filling a gap of bloom time between late spring and late summer blooming plants for hummingbirds. This year though we hit a hot, dry stretch right as they were about to bloom, and as the heat came all the blooms withered as if it were just far too hot for them. Shouldn't a Penstemon from southeast New Mexico and west Texas be able to handle the higher temperatures we get at 6,200' elevation in southeast Wyoming? Doesn't really make sense to me. One plant bloomed earlier before the heat wave and I was able to get these photos, but no seed matured from that one. Maybe things will change in future years, but it wasn't a promising year two for these plants."

— Oscarflip (3/5)

Maybe

"Plant came in a poor condition barely hanging on"

— Paul (3/5)

Pretty incredible blooms and very hardy.

"We bought five of them and they were planted about 1 year ago - so in early summer. They were healthy enough but none flowered last year. All through the winter they stayed almost entirely green, which is amazing considering -25 deg. F winter nights and deep snow (Rocky Mtn's, zone 5). Then this spring they came alive and staritng putting out what I figured were flower spikes. Now they are fairly huge, super healthy and about 4 feet tall! No hummingbirds or any insects yet but who knows - maybe some will show up. We placed them with artemesia, catmint (low grow), lavender, coreopsis, and similar."

— Troutguy (4/5)

I would highly recommend

"I am growing this in a container as I don't have the soil conditions to grow them in my garden."

— Sweimer (5/5)

I would highly recommend

"I am growing this in a container as I don't have the soil conditions to grow them in my garden."

— Sweimer (5/5)

hardy, long living, long flower life

"I purchased this plant over 15 years ago from High Country Gardens. It has a beautiful deep red color all summer long."

— DJ (5/5)

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