PlantFiles Pictures: White Plains Beardtongue, Tube Beard Tongue, White Wand Beardtongue (Penstemon t, 1 by peachespickett

peachespickett wrote:
No, I grew this from 3" pot from High Country Gardens. Planted it last September or thereabouts, didn't do much all winter, just a few leaves, six inches across, and then this spring it exploded, flower spikes four feet tall. It's growing in a mostly shady spot, just a little sun in summer, in regular sandy-loam soil. Tolerates a lot of moisture, it seems. The blooms smell like Bradford Pear or Deerbrush to me, not very good-smelling but literally wet with nectar. Hummingbirds won't leave it alone. Weird but lots of little bugs die on the flowers, I don't know if it's too strong for them or what. Don't bring it inside in a bouquet, it looks pretty but it stunk the house up. Beautiful plant, though, very strong stems. The blossoms are starting to fall off now so I hope to harvest the seeds. Seeds are supposed to last a while, and may take a long time to germinate. I've read sow 8 weeks at 40F, so planting them in fall would probably work so they get cold temps they need.