Species / Family: Perennial. Belongs to the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae)
Maintenance effort: low. Easy-care
Flowering time: Depending on the variety, from June to September with small, funnel-shaped flowers hanging loosely on narrow panicles in red, pink, white or blue, often two-colored and some fragrant. Due to the loose distribution of the flowers it looks very filigree
Foliage: Mostly half or completely evergreen. Basal leaves are oval, elongated, leaves on the stem rather lanceolate. Foliage is shiny in fresh green, some species and varieties have gray-green or blue-green foliage
Habit: Upright bushy growth, spreads like clumps through creeping rhizomes. Wooded base
Height / width: 8 to 120cm high, 10 to 60cm wide
Location: Sunny to partially shaded, warm and protected. Prefer a sunny place, also on a warm south wall. Soil rich in nutrients, humus and very well drained
Planting time: Can be preferred from February to March from seeds indoors (germination time 15-30 days at 18-22 degrees Celsius) or sown directly outdoors from around May
Cut: after flowering, later autumn or spring close to the ground. If you don't cut until spring, you can now and then enjoy a re-bloom in autumn
Partners: Speedwell, goldenrod, maiden's eye, evening primrose, sage, summer daisy
Propagation: cut cuttings from late spring to summer; develop and flower rapidly. Can also be shared in autumn. Sowing possible from April to May. Keep the soil moist, germinates after approx. 2 weeks
Care: In spring compost or long-term fertilizer application. Water regularly when dry
Wintering: Only partially hardy, is grateful for protection with brushwood. In very rough areas or winters, it is better to winter frost-free indoors
Diseases / pests: Very popular with snails, otherwise problem-free
Particularities:
Sometimes also red beard thread or garden beard thread or Called the perennial beard thread
The original species comes from Mexico as well as South-West America
Very good cut flower, as it will reliably continue to bloom even with regular pruning for the vase
Fits well in the rock garden
Can be kept well in the bucket
Many hybrids are only grown as an annual, but even perennials are not long-lived
Popular insect pasture
Unfortunately quite unknown plant
Types (choice of 250 types)
Mountain beard thread (Penstemon alpinus)
Height 15-25cm. Blooms from May to June in violet-blue, sometimes slightly reddish
Foxglove beard thread (Penstemon digitalis)
Height 70-100cm. Blooms from July to August. Is considered frost-proof
Needle-leaved beard thread (Penstemon pinifolius)
Evergreen. Flowers bright orange-red for most of the summer. More like needle-like foliage. Heat tolerant type. Rainwater is enough and therefore does not have to be watered additionally. Is relatively frost hardy. Comes from Mexico and the US Southwest
Wire-haired beard thread (Penstemon hirsutus)
Height 60cm. Blooms in summer with very long and conspicuously narrow flowers in pale purple with a white throat. Has hairy flowers and stems with rather dark green leaves. Comes from the northeast as well as the middle of the USA
Rough-haired dwarf mustache (Penstemon hirsutus var. pygmaeus)
Dwarf form of wire-haired beard thread. Height 8-10cm. Has slightly smaller and not quite as narrow flowers as its big sister, but also flowers in pale purple. Requires winter protection
Variegated beard thread (Penstemon heterophyllus)
Height 40-50cm. Blooms in summer with 2.5-3.5cm long flowers in dark purple-pink, sometimes appearing almost blue. 2.5-5cm long blue-green leaves. Lignified well at the base. Comes from California
(Penstemon davidsonii var. menziesii)
Height 15cm, 20cm wide. Flowers purple-pink in summer. Rather round leaves in light green. Semi-evergreen. Subshrub that spreads in a creeping manner
(Penstemon glaber)
Height 45-60cm, 60cm wide. Flowers in summer in pink or blue-violet with a light to white tip. 3.5-10cm long leaves, flowers are 2.5-3.5cm tall. Semi-evergreen subshrub with a quickly woody base. Frost hardy. Comes from Wyoming
(Penstemon newberryi)
Blooms in intense pink in early summer. Is native to mountain regions
(Penstemon rupicola)
Blooms a light pink in late spring
(Penstemon serrulatus)
Height 30-80cm. Flowers in late summer to autumn with relatively small (approx. 2cm), tube-like to bell-like flowers in quite dense clusters in violet-blue. Sawn, broadly lanceolate, 2.5-10cm long dark green leaves. It is native from Oregon to southern Alaska, so it is very hardy
(Penstemon x gloxinioides)
Group of hybrids arising from the species Penstemon cobaea and Penstemon hartwegii in the middle of the 19th century. Century were bred. Very large, deep red to dark pink flowers with a white throat. Are the largest flowers of the species. Unfortunately, very sensitive to cold and only short-lived, so it is rarely cultivated
Varieties (selection)
`Alice Hindley: Also called` Gentianoides. Height 100-120cm. Flowers in lilac, slightly bluish with a slightly white opening. Size about. 4.5cm) flowers. Not very stable, needs good support. Only sparsely leafy. Well hardy. Older variety, already bred in 1931
`In memory of Friedrich Hahn: Also called` garnet. Height 75-80cm, 60cm wide. Blooms from summer to frost in dark pink to dark red. Somewhat sensitive to frost
`Apple Blossom: Perennial. Height 60cm, just as wide. Blooms in midsummer to mid-autumn with pale pink flowers with a white throat. Very hardy
`Bev Jensen. Blooms in red
`Blackbird: Perennial. Height 60cm, just as wide. Flowers in midsummer to mid-autumn in wine-red to dark purple. Well hardy
`Blue Springs: height 30cm. It stands out for its gentian blue flowers
`Burford White: See below the variety` White Bedder
`Chester Scarlet: Perennial. Height 60cm, 45cm wide. Blooms in scarlet red from midsummer to mid-autumn, some flowers are slightly white. Well hardy
`Coccineus: height 100cm. Well-known and very popular variety. Purple-red bloom from July to September
`Connies Pink: Height 100-120cm. Exceptionally narrow flowers in pink-red. Stems are slightly hairy
`Edithiae: Height 30cm, just as wide. Blooms from spring to early summer in purple-pink. Very hardy
`Evelyn: height 80cm. Flowering profusely in pale pink. Bred from the famous Slieve Donard Nursery in Northern Ireland. Sensitive to frost
`Garnet: Flowers pomegranate red. Well hardy
`Gentianoides: See above the variety` Alice Hindley
`Garnet: See above the variety` In memory of Friedrich Hahn
`Hidcote Pink: height 100-120cm. Flowers in a light pinkish red with dark stripes. Gray-green foliage. Sensitive to frost
`Hollys White: Blooms in white. It is by far the most popular strain in America
`Huskers Red Strain: Thimble Beard. Exceptional bronze-purple leaves with contrasting white flowers in July and August. Well hardy
`Joy: Perennial. Height 60cm, 45cm wide. Blooms in midsummer to mid-autumn with warm pink flowers with a lighter, darkly striped throat. Well hardy
`Maurice Gibbs: Blooms in red with a white throat
`Mother of Pearl: Flowers in pink to lilac colors. Well hardy
`Pennington Gem: Height 70-80cm. Dark pink-pin colored flowers with a light throat
`Phoenix®: height 30cm. Blooms from June to September in bright red with a pure white center
`Pretty Petticoat: Newer variety. Height 40cm. Blooms from June to September in pink-violet-colored flowers with a white-pink center. Smells pleasant
`Royal White: See below the variety` White Bedder
`Rubicunda: height 30cm. Blooms from June to August in an intense purple-red
`Schönholzen: Hybrid variety with conspicuously large thimble-like flowers in scarlet red
`Snow Storm: See below the variety` White Bedder
`Stapleford Gem: height 100cm. Depending on the weather and the pH of the soil, the color changes from dark pink to pure purple. Sensitive to frost
`Thorn: height 80-100cm. Narrow flowers in delicate pink to white
`White Bedder: Also called` Burford White, `Royal White or` Snow Sturm. Height 80cm. Flowers in white, often cream-colored to yellowish or pale pink. Buds are usually light pink in color. Somewhat sensitive to frost
