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Sunset Crater Penstemon

Penstemon clutei

$10.39
$10.39 $12.99
per Plant - 2.5" Pot
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ZONES  4-8 | Good to grow! Zone
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36" tall x 18-24" wide. Sunset Crater Beardtongue, one of our very best Western species, blooms most of the summer with spikes of beautiful pink flowers. A willing re-seeder it makes colorful colonies of big, showy plants. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric).

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Description

36" tall x 18-24" wide. One of our favorite beardtongues, Sunset Crater Beardtongue is easy-to-grow and re-seeds readily to make big, colorful colonies of long blooming, pink flowered plants. Although a rare species, native to a limited area near Flagstaff, AZ, P. clutei has proven to be very adaptable, needing only well drained soils, dry conditions, gravel mulch and lots of sun. Low fertility, well drained soil.

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

Low-Water

Bloom Time

Summer

Advantages

  • Attracts Hummingbirds
  • Attracts Birds
  • Native
  • Long Bloom Time
  • Naturalizes
  • Evergreen
  • Rock Gardens
  • Deer Resistant
  • Rabbit Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

30-36" tall

Mature Spread

18-24" wide

Soil Type

  • Low Fertility Soil
  • Well-Drained Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Native To

North America

Growing Zones

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

Neonicotinoid Free

Yes

Ships As

Potted Plant

Can Send To PO Box

No
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Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 8 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: ["plant","growing","foliage","seeds"].

Review highlights

Reviews

I would buy this plant again

"Love this plant! It arrived healthy and adapted well to Oklahoma. We've had high storm winds, it surrvived beautifully. I'm looking forward to it dropping seeds and spreading."

— TJ (5/5)

Strong and Showy

"Reliable and self seeds!"

— Crickets (5/5)

Full of surprises

"About 5 years ago I started with 3 plants in zone 3. Two plants did not survive but the third limped along. It produced some seeds which I stratified in pots. Subsequently I moved to zone 4b and planted the seedlings very late in the year. This past summer the P. clutei simply exploded in growth and bloomed the entire summer. The plants grew so large it became necessary to prune them back and it flowered up to the snow arrived. The leaves have a slightly silver cast to them. Anyone living in zone 4 or higher should find these easy to grow. Give them plenty of room and prepare to be amazed at the resulting beauty and toughness of P. clutei."

— Traillens (5/5)

Excellent!

"I live in a chinook area so it is very windy, zone 4. I planted this in sandy soil on the south side of the house, exposed to the predominant SW winds. It is a beautiful plant with a long bloom period. It took a full summer to establish itself and is a large robust plant now. Highly recommend."

— KM (5/5)

A nice hardy penstemon

"A nice xeric plant, easy in a tough climate (drought, wind). Plant has grown well but no flowers the first year. Looking forward to some as the plant matures."

— Cactifa (5/5)

Showy, long blooming, and large

"I bought a number of these last year. They didn't do much the first year, but the following spring, they are large and blooming heavily. The spread is wider than 2 feet for several of them. I've planted them with salvias and other penstemon, including Elfin Pink."

— Mary (5/5)

Fast grower, hardy, great plant

"This plant has very attractive foliage, is a rapid grower, and looks great in most landscapes. Plants that arrvied were small pots, but filled in very quickly. One year later, it is bigger than 1 gallon plants planted later in the season. It overwintered well in a berm in zone 5 weather. Some foliage remained green all year."

— Native G. (5/5)

Tough Plant!

"I fell backwards and landed on this plant last year when it was a baby! Then I stepped on it! I finally put a statue by it to protect it, and it is beautiful. That part of my garden doesn't get much water, and I live in Abilene, TX. We are hot and the nights do not cool off. It is about to bloom, and the leaves are beautiful."

— Lauren C. (5/5)

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