Beardlip penstemon

How to grow Beardlip penstemon

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in spring, not autumn, so it is well rooted before winter. Drainage is critical — winter wet is what kills penstemons in British gardens, more than frost. Add grit on heavier soils and avoid low, damp corners.

Pruning

Leave the top growth on over winter as protection for the crown, then cut back in mid spring to just above the lowest new shoots. Deadheading through summer keeps flowering going.

Propagation

Take semi-ripe cuttings of non-flowering shoots in late summer and overwinter them somewhere frost-free. This is worth doing every year as insurance, since losses over a bad winter are common.

Pests and diseases

Few pests. Slugs may take new spring growth; root and crown rot in wet soil is the usual cause of death.

Value to wildlife

The narrow tubular red flowers suit long-tongued bumblebees, which work them steadily through summer.

Notes

Treat it as a plant with a limited life and keep young stock coming from cuttings. In a cold or wet garden it is safest grown in a raised bed or a gritty container.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Penstemon barbatus but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Penstemon