Subject: Re: Penstemon hardy?

From: PATTIBELLE <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 00:03:22 -0500

I love penstemon, but with our CA rains this year, I have my doubts about
whether or not it will survive as it doesn't like wet winters.  This has
been the wettest in the past 100 yrs.  I live in Sunset's Zone 14 and had
really beautiful penstemmon, especially one called "Sour Grapes."
 
Pat in Napa, CA

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Beer)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 15:26:35 GMT

Well...I don't know about "Sour Grapes," but I grow several varieties and 
species of Penstemon in my garden in Seattle, where we certainly have wet 
winters, and I haven't lost a single one.  I wouldn't worry too much.

bob

In article <[email-masked]>,

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 00:13:49 -0500

I have several varieties of penstemon in my Zone 3 (30 below) garden, and
there's even a local nursery up here that specializes in them.  So enjoy them.
 
Carol

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:45:36 -0500

I grow them in my northern zone 5 garden in sun, shade and partial and
they all do fine year after year.

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From: PATTIBELLE <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 00:03:22 -0500

Pat in Napa, CA

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Beer)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 15:26:35 GMT

bob

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 00:13:49 -0500

Carol

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:45:36 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (Jim Davis)
Date: 23 Mar 95 23:48:24 GMT

Here in Sunnyvale Calif. I have "sour grapes" penstemmon that I
would not only call hardy but almost invasive!  They do seem to 
do very well without much water in the hot summer days.  They
also survived the fairly heavy rains of the past two years.  
They bow a bit under the rain drops but don't seem to sustain any
real damage.  This is my favorite flower in the garden because of
the beautiful flowers that attract hummingbirds and the healthy 
folliage all year round.

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:48:55 -0500

I am in northern part of zone 5.  Mine are in the shade and do wonderfully
and carefree

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:48:55 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (Barbara W)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 18:48:32 GMT

Most Penstemon species are quite hardy, to zone 3,4, or 5. Some west coast
natives can only take a little bit of freezing. 

However, the reason that some Penstemon are not hardy in the eastern US
and similar climes has to do with other variables. For instance, most
Penstemon like quick-draining soil, even gravelly. They do not like being
wet during the winter. They _do_ like poor, alkaline soil, lots of sun,
not much water. If Penstemons are short-lived in your garden, consider
giving them more sun, less water, less fertilizer and a sharp-draining
soil.

Barbara
zone 5 at 6000' in northern New Mexico