Perennial
Pikes Peak Purple Penstemon
Penstemon × mexicali 'P007S' (PIKES PEAK PURPLE®)
Violet-purple bells on a tidy, long-blooming penstemon. The purple twin of Red Rocks.
- Pollinator
- Hummingbird
- Plant Select®
Quick facts
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–8
- Water
- Low once established
- Sun
- Full sun to Part sun
- Size
- 14–18 in. tall × 12–14 in. wide
- Bloom & interest
- Violet-purple bells from late spring through summer
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Native range
- Not native to the US (non-invasive garden plant)
- Plant Select
- Plant Select® recommended plant
Why we recommend it
A Plant Select winner (1999) with a long violet bloom season, compact habit and strong hummingbird appeal; more forgiving of garden conditions than wild penstemons.
Best regions: Front RangeHigh DesertGreat Basin
How to grow it
Watering to establish
Water weekly the first summer; established plants want a soak every 2–3 weeks in summer heat.
Pruning
Deadhead to extend bloom; clean up old stems in spring, keeping the evergreen basal rosettes.
Soil
Well-drained, average to lean soil; excellent in raised beds and rock gardens.
Pairs well with
Read more
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Where to buy
Shop Pikes Peak Purple Penstemon from trusted growers. For the best selection of xeric plants, try a mail-order specialist or ask a local independent nursery.
- High Country Gardens (opens in a new tab)Xeric specialist
- Nature Hills Nursery (opens in a new tab)Wide selection
- American Meadows (opens in a new tab)Perennials & seeds
- Etsy (opens in a new tab)Small growers
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