Penstemon speciosus

ROYAL PENSTEMON

Penstemon speciosus
ROYAL PENSTEMON

Penstemon speciosus is a right royal beauty, plus a very unusual and particularly hardy member of the Penstemon family.

Unusual royal colouring 

Penstemon speciosus has most unusual colouring – there is no other Penstemon like it.
Because each flower has vivid, sky blue lips, shading from royal purple trumpets flushed with violet, and highlighted with white throats.
So truly sumptuous royal colouring, with large trumpets from such a compact plant.

Tough & dry resistant

This stunning little clump former hails from the wild west of North America.
Where it thrives amongst sagebrush and scrub, as well as dry, ponderosa pine forests.
So no wonder it is undaunted by the extremes of summer heat and winter cold; and finds itself well pleased in the drier parts of Australia.

Water-wise, frost & heat hardy

The Royal Penstemon is perfect for water-saving, low maintenance landscaping – as it has low water needs; is drought and heat resistant once established; and soundly frost hardy.
But it will be miserable and quickly desert you in wet places or spots with poor drainage.

Thrives in gravel, sandy spots or pots

Penstemon speciosus does best on well-drained soils; and will thrive in rocky, gravelly soils, sandy soils and well drained loams.
It also relishes Full to Partial Sun providing it is well drained; loves to be sun-baked; and is both heat and cold hardy.

Profuse & long blooming in pots or garden

The Royal Penstemon is perfect for decorative pots as it is such a compact, bushy grower with profuse, long blooming during spring and summer.

Unusual compact, bushy growth – a caudex plant

Multiple stems sprout from a swollen, caudex root base.
Giving it many flowering spires as well as special reserves of hardiness.
Plus only minimal fertilizer is required, as it blooms best on a lean diet.

Beloved by bees, pollinators and honey-eater native birds

The beautiful trumpet flowers are rich in nectar and magnets for all our flying friends.
Stems also make good cut flowers for vases.

Hardy evergreen perennial

Penstemon speciosus is a hardy, evergreen perennial.
Bearing many stems 60-75cm. High, clothed in stunning blue and purple trumpets x 45-60cm Wide clump of evergreen foliage emerging from a woody, swollen base.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: Penstemon speciosus

Sow indoors in punnets at any time of the year when suitable temperatures can be provided.

Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First sow the seeds in a punnet / pot, on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then pat the seed gently to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.

Now dust the seeds very lightly with sieved mix / sand / grit.
But do not completely cover because these seeds need light to germinate.

Now moisten the punnet thoroughly by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allow the moisture to percolate to the surface of the mix from below.

Then cling wrap the moist, sown punnet, or place in a clip-lock bag.
And place the punnet in the fridge for 6-8 weeks to mimic a good cold winter.

Then after 6-8 weeks remove from the fridge, unwrap, and place the punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sun).
And continue to keep moist.

Temperatures of 15-20°C at this stage are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Seeds begin to germinate in 7-14 days approx. But do not discard the punnet, as it is natural for this plant to stagger the seed germination as a safety precaution.

Seed Count: 12 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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