Penstemon ‘Blackbeard’
$24.99
Penstemon digitalis Blackbeard carries lilac-pink flowers above eggplant-purple foliage and dark stems, giving borders strong upright color.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Penstemon digitalis Blackbeard builds strong upright color from eggplant-purple foliage, dark stems, and lilac-pink to white tubular flowers. The flower spikes rise above a broad clump and work well in borders, prairie-style planting, and pollinator gardens. Dark leaves keep the plant distinctive before and after the main bloom. Mature plants reach about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Grow it in full sun for the darkest foliage and firmest stems. Keep the soil well drained and water deeply while the roots establish. Add a light compost layer in spring on poor soil without encouraging lush growth. Cut winter-damaged stems back to healthy new shoots in spring and shorten spent stems after flowering. Softwood cuttings can be taken in early summer, and vigorous clumps may be divided in spring. Watch for slugs, snails, aphids, gray mold, powdery mildew, leaf spots, and root rot in wet soil.
Additional information
| Height | 70 cm – 85 cm |
|---|---|
| Spread | 45 cm – 60 cm |
| Flowering months | May, June, July, April |
| Synonyms | Penstemon 'Blackbeard', Penstemon Blackbeard, PENSTEMON digitalis 'Blackbeard' |
| Family | Plantaginaceae |
| Propagation | Propagate Penstemon digitalis Blackbeard from softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer. Established clumps may also be divided in spring where the plant is vigorous. |
| Pests | Penstemon digitalis Blackbeard may attract slugs, snails, aphids, and leaf or bud eelworms. Check young shoots, buds, and dense growth during the active season. |
| Diseases | Penstemon digitalis Blackbeard can suffer gray mold, powdery mildew, fungal leaf spots, or root rot in wet soil. Good airflow and freely drained crowns reduce the main disease risks. |
| Hazardous | unknown |
| Variegated | no |
| Watering instructions | Keep soil drained; water deeply during dry establishment. |
| Sunlight instructions | Grow in full sun for the darkest foliage and firm stems. |
| Color flower spring | Purple, White, Pink |
| Color flower summer | Purple, White, Pink |
| Aspect | East, South, West |
| Foliage | Semi-evergreen |
| Habit | Bushy, Clump-former |
| Moisture | Well Drained Soil |
| Ph | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Position | Full sun |
| Scent | No |
| Shape | Mound-forming, Upright |
| Suggest planting location | Pollinator Garden, Flowering borders, Cottage and informal gardens, Prairie style planting, Rain Garden |
| Type | Perennial |
| Use for | Cutting Garden, Low maintenance, Pollinator-Friendly |
| Years to max height | 2 |
| Drought resistance | yes |
| Soil | Loam, Sand, Clay |
| Local names | Blackbeard Beardtongue, Foxglove Beardtongue, Beardtongue |
| Blomidon Item No | ZPENBB0001G |
| Usps | Eggplant-purple foliage holds lilac flowers above dark stems., Strong upright color for borders and pollinator planting. |