Blackbeard is a tall beardtongue with deep eggplant-purple foliage and dark purple flower stems that stand strictly upright. In early to midsummer the stems carry lilac-purple flowers with flared white throats.
After bloom, dark burgundy seed pods keep the stems attractive, and the plant does not flop over. At 28 to 34 inches, it fits the middle of the border or a naturalized planting. It takes heat and humidity, is very cold hardy, and is rarely bothered by pests. Hummingbirds and bees visit the flowers.
What it looks like
Tall, strictly upright, dark purple stems carry loose clusters of tubular flowers about an inch long, lilac-purple on the outside with flared white throats. The basal leaves are lance-shaped to oval, glossy, deep eggplant purple, forming a low mound from which the stems rise. After flowering, small rounded seed pods in dark burgundy remain on the stems. The plant grows about 28 to 34 inches tall in bloom and 24 inches wide. At peak bloom the pale lilac flowers stand out against the dark stems and foliage.
Growing it with lavender
Blackbeard likes the same sun and drainage as lavender, and its dark purple foliage and lilac flowers make a moody, tonal partner for lavender in early summer.
Care
Grow in full sun in average, well-drained soil; it tolerates drought once established but should not sit wet over winter. Hardy in zones 3-8. Leave the stems standing after bloom to enjoy the burgundy seed pods, then cut back to the basal foliage in late summer or early spring.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Penstemon
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Flower color: Lilac purple with white throats
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Foliage: Deep eggplant purple
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Growth habit: Strictly upright
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Mature size: 28–34 in tall × 24 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Mid-June
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Peak bloom: Late-June
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
