Dark Amethyst Penstemon - 72-Cell Plug Tray

Dark Amethyst is a bearded penstemon with dark reddish-purple tubular flowers, deeper in tone than other purple penstemons and without any blue cast. Strong stems hold plenty of blooms in early summer over a full, dense plant.

The lance-shaped, dark blue-green leaves look good all season. Native to rocky hillsides of the Southwest, it thrives on sun and drainage, handles heat, humidity and cold, and is rarely troubled by pests. Hummingbirds find the flowers quickly.

What it looks like

Slender, upright stems carry many narrow, tubular flowers about an inch long in dark reddish purple, each flaring slightly at the mouth, held along the upper half of the stem and angled outward. Leaves are lance-shaped, smooth and dark blue-green, forming a dense basal clump with smaller leaves up the stems. The plant forms a full, upright clump about 18 to 22 inches tall and 20 to 26 inches wide. At peak bloom many dark purple spikes rise together from the blue-green base.

Growing it with lavender

This penstemon shares lavender's need for full sun and sharp drainage, and its dark reddish-purple spikes bloom alongside the first lavender flowers for a matched pollinator planting.

Care

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil; it tolerates drought once established and does poorly in wet, heavy ground, especially over winter. Hardy in zones 4-8. Cut flower stalks down to the leafy base after bloom to tidy the plant.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Penstemon barbatus
• Flower color: Dark reddish purple
• Foliage: Dark blue-green
• Growth habit: Full, upright clump
• Mature size: 18–22 in tall × 20–26 in wide
• USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
• Light: full sun
• Bloom start: Early-June
• Peak bloom: Mid-June
• Bloom pattern: Single Flush
• Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
• Pollinator value: Great

Sizes and shipping

One full 72-cell plug tray: 72 young starter plugs of this variety (cells about 1⅓ in. wide × 2½ in. deep), rooted and ready to pot up into quarts or gallons. Best for growers and nurseries. Potted plants and plug trays ship during our live-plant seasons, March 1–May 31 and October 1–November 30; June through September is local pickup only. Plugs, potted plants and trays do not ship to AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT or WA.