Penstemon is a perennial shrub that belongs to the Norichnikov family. The plant is most commonly found in North and Central America. The distribution area also includes the Far East and East Asia. On the territory of Russia, this plant is not widespread.
The bright inflorescences of penstemon are very elegant. They consist of small bells and have a delicate scent. An ornamental plant planted in a flower bed or summer cottage can become a charming decoration. With the onset of spring, it covers the earth with a bright carpet, which is replete with a variety of shades.
Penstemon: plant description
Perennial has a rod-type root system. The bush consists of 1-4 erect stems, which grow from 20 to 120 cm. The ribbed surface of the rounded shoots has a juicy green or dark brown color. Shiny, elongated leaves with a pointed edge are oppositely arranged. They are collected in a rosette and have no petioles.
Penstemon begins to bloom in May. Until the end of June, oblong panicles of future inflorescences with tubular corollas appear on the stems. Petals of small flowers have a characteristic slightly forked shape. Several thin stamens and ovaries peep out from the center of the oblong calyx 1.5-2.5 cm long. One or more shades are typical for each bud. The color of the petals can be very diverse: burgundy, scarlet, blue, lilac, lilac, beige, yellow or white. Zev is lighter in color.
The pollinated flower, after ripening, forms a polyspermous capsule, in the middle of which there are small, ribbed seeds. They are covered with a tough brown skin. 1 g of seed can contain approximately 10,000 units. They are able to maintain their germination for a couple of years.
Growing penstemon
To grow penstemon, you can use the vegetative method or sow seeds. An unpretentious flower develops equally well in both cases.
In February, the seeds are germinated. They are laid out in containers with sandy-peat soil, if necessary, covered with a small amount of sand and left in a well-lit, heated room. The air temperature must be at least + 18 ° С. The soil is constantly moistened with a spray bottle so that only the top layer remains slightly wet. On the tenth or fourteenth day, the first shoots may appear. When at least two formed leaves open on the stem, the seedling can be dived and planted in a separate peat pot. It can be transplanted into open soil in May.
In areas with warm climatic conditions, seeds are sown directly on the selected site. For this, November is suitable. Thus, the shrub has time to grow and bloom before spring at an earlier date than seeds grown in spring.
If the plant becomes too sprawling and dense, it is stratified into several lobes for separate planting. In the spring, you need to dig up the entire bush, clean it, if possible, from clods of earth and manually separate the shoots. It is recommended to plant each part of the plant in a new place with a distance of 35 cm from each other.
The period from May to August is a favorable time for grafting. At the same time, young shoots that do not have buds are cut from the upper part of the stems, and they are planted on moistened soil. Each seedling needs to be sprayed with water, wrapped in foil and left in a shaded place.
An equally effective way is to propagate penstemon using layering. At the beginning of spring, small depressions are made in the soil and shoots are placed there. After a few weeks, you need to check the layering. If they have a root system, then the plant is separated from the adult plant and planted.
Planting and caring for penstemon
Despite the unpretentiousness of the penstemon in care, it is advisable to prepare optimal conditions for it. Then the bush will be lush and blooming.
For planting penstemon, it is advisable to find a sunny lawn where there are no strong winds. The soil should be soft and loose. It is important to ensure good drainage and to choose acidic soil. Before planting a shrub, you need to intensively dig up the ground at the chosen place and fertilize it with manure and, if the soil is heavy, then add sand, wood shavings or pebbles.
In order for the earth to be sufficiently saturated with oxygen, it is recommended to regularly loosen it. It is important to protect the bushes from excessive moisture or accumulation of water in the bush hole. At the end of autumn, penstemons are carefully covered and regularly cleared of snow from the soil around the stems so that it melts during thawing.
The plant needs regular soil moisture. In the warm season, watering should be done every other day and controlled so that the earth has time to dry out.
For the soil to be fertile, it needs to be fed with organic fertilizers. Top dressing should be applied every four months. When the time of flowering approaches, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with phosphorus-containing solutions of high concentration.
The shrub needs to be pruned from time to time. When the plant fades, you need to rid the stems of wilted flowers, remove the remnants of dry leaves. In the autumn, it is necessary to carry out a cardinal pruning. At the same time, they get rid of almost all shoots. Only the root rosette can be retained. After three to five years, the shoots are stretched and exposed. The flowers are getting smaller. The bush loses its attractiveness. In this case, it must be replaced with new cuttings and seedlings.
With the onset of cold weather, the bushes are hidden under fallen leaves. On top, you can put spruce branches in a layer of 15 cm. At the same time, you need to control the degree of soil moisture. For penstemone, getting wet is more dangerous, freezing.
Perennial favorably differs from other plants in that it has a high resistance to the effects of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. If the plant still gets sick, and its top begins to dry, gardeners recommend getting rid of the affected areas in a timely manner. But, as a rule, parasites and insects are not dangerous to penstemon, so there is no need to use insecticides.
Types and varieties of penstemon with a photo
This genus of shrubs is very diverse and is represented by about 250 varieties. At the moment, it is rarely used by domestic gardeners, so agricultural firms offer a rather limited range of penstemon seeds.
Bearded Penstemon (Penstemon barbatus)
The height of the smooth erect stems of the shrub reaches 70-90 cm. On strong, branched shoots of rich green color, several opposite lanceolate leaves of an elongated shape grow. In early June, oblong inflorescences about 30 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter are formed on the stems. The opened buds with delicate pink and bright red petals continue to bloom for one month.The following varieties are most popular:
- Rubikunda - with shoots up to 0.5 m long, large flowers with bright red petals appear, which turn into a white color closer to the throat;
- Kokkineus - bells with double edges of petals adorn stems from 60 cm to 1.2 m long;
- Rondo - bushes about 40 cm high topped with scarlet and bright blue flowers;
- Iron Maiden - with narrow burgundy bells;
- Dark Tawers is a plant that grows up to 1 m in height, covered with wide leaves and pale pink tubular buds.
Penstemon brilliant (Penstemon nitidus)
A short shrub reaches a length of no more than 25 cm, at the base of which there is a rosette with long leaves rounded at the ends. Short tubular buds bloom on greenish stems. The flowering process lasts from May to June, when the shrub is decorated with blue and purple bells. This type of penstemon tolerates a significant drop in temperature.
Penstemon foxglove (Penstemon digitalis)
Plant height with long branched stems ranges from 60 cm to 1.2 m. The root rosette remains viable all year round. Beige and pink bells bloom on the tops of the shoots from June. Decorative varieties include:
- Evelyn - juicy emerald shoots are adorned with delicate pink bells;
- Husker Red - the shrub has a characteristic bronze color, turning into a burgundy color, against which white inflorescences look great.
This species of perennial frost does not harm.
Penstemon in landscape design
The plant reproduces actively, forming lush bushes with bright flowers. Due to its attractive appearance, Penstemon fits perfectly into the design of various flower beds and lawns. The main thing is to carefully choose flowers that will grow nearby, since penstemon is an aggressive plant. Penstemon bouquets are very delicate but cannot last long.
