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Penstemon x mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Beardtongue 'Pike's Peak Purple', Beard Tongue 'Pike's Peak Purple', 'Pike's Peak Purple' Hybrid Beardtongue

Award General
Penstemon x Mexicali 'Pike's Peak Purple', Beardtongue 'Pike's Peak Purple', Beard Tongue 'Pike's Peak Purple', 'Pike's Peak Purple' Hybrid Beardtongue, Purple Penstemon, Purple Beardtongue, Purple Beard Tongue

A pretty hybrid Penstemon, Penstemon x mexicali ‘ ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ is a bushy perennial with short spikes of bright violet-purple trumpet flowers revealing white throats. They rise above a lush foliage of lance-shaped, glossy green leaves. A very attractive and low-maintenance variety that adapts to a wide range of garden conditions.

  • On display from early summer through early fall, this Penstemon grows vigorously to 12-18 in. tall (30-45 cm) and 10-12 in. wide (25-30 cm), and adds lovely vertical lines to the landscape. 
  • 1999 Plant Select® winner
  • Provides a bold and striking impact in bedsborderscottage gardensrock gardens or in prairie plantings. Ideal for naturalistic planting schemes. Good as cut flowers too!
  • Best grown in full sun or partial shade, in fertile, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerates almost any soils including dry soils. Drought tolerant once established. Dislikes damp conditions and needs excellent drainage! Penstemons need very little water and barely any fertilizer. Fertilize lightly when planting and then never again. Over fertilizing Penstemons leads to excessive die back in the winter.
  • Attracts scores of hummingbirdsbutterflies and other beneficial pollinators but is resistant to deer and rabbits.
  • Generally disease free. May be attacked by slugs, snails, glasshouse red spider mite, and leaf and bud eelworms
  • Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-hardwood cuttings in midsummer. Propagate by division in spring.
  • Deadhead after flowering to maintain vigor. Then cut back to base in early spring

Penstemon: How to Grow and Care with Success


Properly growing Penstemon ensures robust, vibrant blooms and foliage, enhances garden biodiversity by attracting pollinators, prevents disease, and maintains plant health. Thriving plants provide longer-lasting beauty and environmental benefits, contributing positively to local ecosystems and the aesthetic value of your landscape.

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 9
Climate Zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Plantaginaceae
Genus Penstemon
Common names Penstemon, Beardtongue
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 10" - 1'
(25cm - 30cm)
Spacing 12" - 15"
(30cm - 40cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Salt, Rabbit, Dry Soil
Attracts Hummingbirds, Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Traditional Garden, Prairie and Meadow, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Penstemon pallidus (Pale Beardtongue)
Penstemon pseudospectabilis (Desert Beardtongue)
Penstemon parryi (Parry’s Beardtongue)
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue’ (Foothill Beardtongue)
Penstemon ‘Evelyn’ (Beardtongue)
Penstemon ovatus (Eggleaf Beardtongue)

Recommended Companion Plants

Kniphofia ‘Tawny King’ (Red Hot Poker)
Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ (Coral Bells)
Stipa arundinacea (New Zealand Wind Grass)
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (Sage)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

35 Flowering Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun
Penstemon and Pollinators: A Harmonious Dance in the Garden
Thriving in Thirst: Colorful Penstemons for Water-Wise Landscapes
Penstemon: How to Grow and Care with Success
Penstemon (Beardtongue)
For the Love of Bees: Best Flowers to Attract them to Your Garden
How to Cultivate a Thriving Bee-Friendly Garden
Best Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 9
Climate Zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Plantaginaceae
Genus Penstemon
Common names Penstemon, Beardtongue
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 10" - 1'
(25cm - 30cm)
Spacing 12" - 15"
(30cm - 40cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Salt, Rabbit, Dry Soil
Attracts Hummingbirds, Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Traditional Garden, Prairie and Meadow, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Penstemon (Beardtongue)
Not sure which Penstemon (Beardtongue) to pick?
Compare Now

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