(Penstemon Hartwegii ‘Scarlet Queen’)

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Scarlet Queen Penstemon is a short-lived perennial flower native to Mexico but grows in open deserts and moist forests throughout the southern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 36” and features hairy upright stems, narrow lance-shaped green leaves, and tubular white two-lipped flowers with scarlet red edgings. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, tolerates drought, is resistant to deer, and is used as a cut flower! 

  • General Information
  • Germination
  • Seedlings
  • Harvesting
  • Seed Saving
  • Companion Planting
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​Family: Plantaginaceae

Genus: Penstemon

Species: Hartwegii

Variety: Scarlet Queen Penstemon

Native to: Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest.

Ease of Growing: Easy
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Grown as: Perennial 
 
Maturity (Bloom): June to September

Light: Full Sun

Water: Low

Soil Moisture: Dry

Attracts Beneficial Insects: Yes. Attracts Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Cut Flowers, Deer Resistant

Container?: Yes
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Height: 30”
 
Spacing: 16-20”

Sow Depth: on soil surface
 
USDA Zone: 4a-9b

Produces: hairy upright stems, narrow lance-shaped green leaves, and tubular white two-lipped flowers that have scarlet red edgings.
Penstemons do best on well-drained soils. They do well on infertile, disturbed soils. They have excellent cold winter and drought tolerance. They will tolerate weakly saline to weakly acidic sites. They are usually found in open areas, but will tolerate semi-shaded conditions. They are not tolerant of fire, but are fire resistant due to leaves staying green with relatively high moisture content during the fire season.

Palmer’s penstemon is found in blackbrush, sagebrush, Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, and ponderosa pine communities where subsurface moisure is available from 800 to 2500 m in elevation. 
These species should be seeded with a drill or broadcast at a depth of 1/4 inch or less into a firm seedbed.  Ideal seeding depth is 1/8 inch.  The best seeding results are obtained from seeding in very early spring (because of grass component of mix) on heavy to medium textured soils and in late fall on medium to light textured soils. Late summer (August - mid September) seeding is not recommended. Dormant fall seedings (preferred seeding period for penstemons) will pre-chill seed and reduce seed dormancy, which is very strong in some species. Mulching, irrigation, and weed control all benefit stand establishment. Seedling vigor is good, but not as good as most grasses. Germination may not occur until the second growing season. Flowering should not be expected until at least the second growing season. 
Seed is generally harvested by hand stripping or by combine. Seed is mature when capsules are dry and seed is hard and dark in color. Flowering is indeterminate with mature capsules and flowers present at harvest period. Multiple harvest periods (by hand) may be necessary to maximize seed collection. Some seed will shatter once capsules open, but the capsule is upright and tends to hold seed very well. Seed can be separated from the capsule by use of a hammer mill or barley de-bearder followed by air screening. 
Cleaned seed should be allowed to dry and then stored in a cool dry area. An after-ripening period of 3 to 4 months is required. Seed retains viability for several years under these conditions.
Native companion plants for the formal prairie garden: Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.), Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), and Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Native companion plants for the pond edge: Gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Kansas Gayfeather (Liatris pycnostachya), Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis), or Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccafolium)

Native Companion plants for rock gardens: Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), Shortstem spiderwort (Tradescantia tharpii), Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), Narrow-leaf Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

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