Teresa, I was just threatening to yank my only remaining penstemon out, once and for all. I can't grow them to produce anything even remotely appealing. They flop, the stems curve, the flowers are insignificant to me.

I must be doing something wrong: soil too rich or what have you, but it is not a plant I would work hard to keep. I do know others adore them, not necessarily for cutting.

PENSTEMONS ARE A MYSTERY TO ME. I have two that have produced hundreds of large spikes in the past. So far this year I have gotten about 2 mediocre ones. It tends to grow huge with many spikes then when you divide it it sulks and takes ? years to recover. I would suggest finding some thrivng ones in gallons in a nursery and then leaving them to establish themselves this year. Hopefully they will survive and you will have lots of cutting flowers next year plus a plant you can divide by season's end. I w ould go with the large named cultivers...Blackbird is one. Mother of pearl poops along here but I find it's pastels hard to show off. I have some kind of a native red one that is prodigious and always in bloom and never touch it except to pick.

Haven't had wildly good success with mine ('Husker'). In part it was the timing of bloom - it was gone before other things I need for market were ready. Was OK for home use. Don't have room at the moment to try other varieties, but would like to do so.