If some cruel fate determined that I could only have one Penstemon, I'd probably choose
Penstemon heterophyllus. Not a big shock there, I suppose. I love
P. heterophyllus for its electric blue flowers that remind me of a
cobalt blue african cichlid. Not only is the color incredible, but the flowers come profusely in an easy-to-manage mound of evergreen foliage, and the plant is quite drought tolerant. For a coastal California plant, it tolerates snow and cold surprisingly well. They could survive on rainfall alone in my garden, though I usually water once or twice during the summer so that they will look better. Irrigated, I hear that they will repeat bloom throughout the summer.
Although I do like all the P. heterophyllus that I've seen, I probably wouldn't choose
this cultivar P. h. 'Margarita BOP'. This cultivar has too much red-purple in it for my taste, and as the weather gets hot, the flowers turn entirely that shade, a color that grates on my nerves like a car with transmission problems. I'd prefer one of the more than 20 other cultivars, such as the awfully named 'Blue Bedder' whose flowers are a solid intense electric blue, but is a seed strain whose plants vary slightly from plant to plant.
If some cruel fate determined that I could only have one Penstemon, I'd probably choose Penstemon heterophyllus. Not a big shock there, I suppose. I love P. heterophyllus for its electric blue flowers that remind me of a cobalt blue african cichlid. Not only is the color incredible, but the flowers come profusely in an easy-to-manage mound of evergreen foliage, and the plant is quite drought tolerant. For a coastal California plant, it tolerates snow and cold surprisingly well. They could survive on rainfall alone in my garden, though I usually water once or twice during the summer so that they will look better. Irrigated, I hear that they will repeat bloom throughout the summer.
Although I do like all the P. heterophyllus that I've seen, I probably wouldn't choose this cultivar P. h. 'Margarita BOP'. This cultivar has too much red-purple in it for my taste, and as the weather gets hot, the flowers turn entirely that shade, a color that grates on my nerves like a car with transmission problems. I'd prefer one of the more than 20 other cultivars, such as the awfully named 'Blue Bedder' whose flowers are a solid intense electric blue, but is a seed strain whose plants vary slightly from plant to plant.
2 comments:
If its drought tolerant, then I need it!
I live in deep, South Texas.
Can I order it online? I have never seen it in a nursery here-
Laura
Loved your blog!
Hmm, deep South Texas. This being a California plant, it will probably suffer quite a bit from hot humid summers. Hot wet summers might kill it outright, as it is very susceptible to fungal diseases. Still, might be worth a try given a well drained soil and a gravel mulch (at least 1"). Try Joy Creek (http://www.joycreek.com/), Forestfarm (www.forestfarm.com - has 'Blue Springs'), High Country Gardens, Goodwin Creek Gardens (http://www.goodwincreekgardens.com/ for 'Catherine de la Mare'), Digging Dog (www.diggingdog.com - for 'Zuriblau'), Las Pilitas (http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/penstemon-heterophyllus-heterophyllus)...
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