Penstemons

[Auricula]

Hi
I have about a dozen penstemon plants in a bed with pinks.
All the plants have stayed evergreen all winter,even flowering from time to time.
Do I have to cut these penstemons down in spring or can I leave them as they are looking very healthy and are showing new leaf buds? If I don't cut them down, will they flower as well as if they have been chopped?
They are between 1 and 2 ft tall.
Thanks

[andy]

Hi auricula

I would leave them now...you will have a gorgeous display of flowers well into the autumn. I would then prune them back in November.
However, you don't have to prune them....continual dead heading and shaping during the year will give a lovely plant.
Take cuttings too....penstemons are reletively short lived and aren't the hardiest plants in the world so cuttings will ensure you have a succession of plants. They're very easy to root from tip cuttings.

Good luck

[Deleted]

I cut mine back, quite hard in late spring.

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0505/penstemonpruning.asp

[Chuckles]

They can be a bit of a beast to keep, If I recall the broader the leaf the harder they are to keep. As already said on previous replies cutting back times vary, if you cut back in November I would give them a good mulch for winter protection. If you do leave them till spring it sometimes pays to take off upto a third of the top growth so they don't get too straggly. You need to look out for new growth at the base any time early spring and then chop off the top growth. They do take good cuttings as andy said, I've done some but they take a year or so to get established and bushy. Always dead head or they can get very straggly

[Auricula]

Thanks all - as we don't get frosts here I think I'll follow Andy's advice and leave them until Nov

[Auricula]

Having now seen Rita's link - I'll check in April and cut out old stems

[Chuckles]

I checked my last years cutting yesterday and they were straggly but had some new growth coming from the base and lower stems, have now tidied them up a bit and put them in a sheltered place

[JennyWrenn]

I have a couple of penstemons and was about to cut them back last year and just before I did watched Carol Klein on GW - dont prune or cut back your penstemons - just leave them - so I did - just took out the woody bits and tidied them up

Have to say am so tempted - once I get the pruning shears out nothing is really safe ;D

They seem OK, no frost damage

[Deleted]

I have just cut mine down, I get carried away with trimming and pruning but thing always come back. ;D