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Scrophulariaceae FAMILY

Penstemon acuminatus

Penstemon acuminatus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Succeeds in ordinary rich garden soils so long as they are well-drained[1]. Succeeds in dry soils. Requires a position in full sun[2]. Many members of this genus are very cold hardy, but do not prosper in Britain because they dislike winter wet. This species is more tolerant of British conditions than many other members of the genus[3]. Judging by its native habitat, it is likely to succeed in maritime exposure[PFAF].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. Alternatively, the seed can be sown in early summer in a greenhouse, the seedlings overwintered in the greenhouse and then planted out in the following spring[1]. Division in autumn[4]. Cuttings can be taken throughout the growing season, though mid summer to early autumn is best[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Penstemon+acuminatus>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Popular Hardy Perennials. — Sanders. T. W. · Collingridge · 1926 · ISBN - ↩︎A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
  5. [5]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]Earth Medicine, Earth Food. — Weiner. M. A. · Ballantine Books · 1980 · ISBN 0-449-90589-6 ↩︎A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
  7. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎