Penstemon pinifolius
Pineneedle Beardtongue
Pineneedle Penstemon
Pineleaf Beardtongue
Plant Family:
Scrophulariaceae
Herbaceous Plant, Perennial
Flower:
Red
Blooms :
Jul
to:
Sep
Red or bright orange tubular flowers
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
No
Foliage:
Green
Evergreen
Pat Kolling
Resembles a tiny mugo pine with thin, evergreen leaves held on tidy stems giving the plant year-round interest
Oregon Native?
No
West State Native?
Yes
Southern New Mexico and eastern Arizona.
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
4
Water Needs:
VL
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
No
Firewise?
Yes
Height:
6-12"
Spread:
15-24"
Growth Rate:
Native Habitat:
Soil:
Sandy Soil, Average Soil, Low Fertility Soil
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Low
Fertilizer:
Fertilize sparingly. One time each year in the fall is enough. Apply a light application of an organic or natural fertilizer such as a top dressing around the plants. Don't use high nitrogen water soluble fertilizers.
Mulch:
Mulch with gravel or pine needles in arid climates. No mulch is needed where conditions are moister. Always avoid bark, grass clippings, or compost as mulch materials.
Long Term:
Plant high, leaving the top of the rootball just above the surrounding soil to avoid burying the crown of the plant. They need ?elbow room,? maximum sun, heat and don?t like to be crowded by other plants.
Winter:
Leave some stems for frost protection and mulch with straw in winter, if necessary.
Spring:
Summer:
To keep penstemon that have finely textured or matted evergreen foliage looking their best, you'll want to deadhead them. Shear off the fading flowering spikes just as the plant is going out of flower. Gently bunch the flower spikes together with one hand
Fall:
Allow some of the plants to set seed (don't deadhead all of the flower spikes). In colder areas, a layer of dry mulch should be applied after the first hard freeze.
Common Problems
Diseases:
The OSU Plant Clinic has found Phytophthora spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and Fusarium spp. associated with root rots of Penstemon spp. grown in Oregon. (https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=Penstemon-Root+Rot)
Insects:
Also called: