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Information by: The Plant Nerd Inc.        Photographer: Susan Frommer

Description

This shrubby perennial produces spectacular, blue purple, tubular flowers on spikes, which is quite attractive to hummingbirds. Royal Beard Tongue can reach a mature size of about 4' tall and 2' wide. It is native to Southern California. It is best planted in the fall and blooms from spring through summer. It prefers well draining soil, full sun and low watering. It looks great in borders. Do not overwater!

Maintenance Tips

Penstemon spectabilis is a California native perennial that grows 2-4’ tall and 2-3’ wide. It has bright purple, tube-like blossoms that are attractive to pollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds. It is also a host plant to many varieties of butterflies and moths. You can expect to see some caterpillar activity, but it is advised not to use pesticides as most of the caterpillars in their mature state are beneficial pollinators. This plant is very drought tolerant and prefers full sun and soil that has good drainage. Flowers will appear on tall stalks for most of the year but will show up in high numbers in the spring and until summer. Throughout the flowering season, just remove flower stalks from the base, as needed, when each stalk has appeared to stop sending out new flowers. In the late summer, you can cut back the foliage by one-third of the current size and remove any additional branches that have died back.