Penstemon (Beardtongue) in Zone 7a & 7b

Penstemon digitalis

When to plant penstemon (beardtongue) in zone 7b

Zones 7a and 7b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Penstemon (Beardtongue) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.

Start indoors	Not typically started indoors
Direct sow / transplant outside	Mar 13–Mar 20
Estimated bloom	Mar 12 '28–Mar 19 '28 (First real harvest the season after planting)

Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-4 ft.

Penstemon digitalis is a tough North American native that flowers in early summer and asks for very little.

How penstemon (beardtongue) fits zone 7's season

Zone 7b's frost-free window runs about 198 days, from April 10 to October 25. Penstemon (Beardtongue) takes about 1 growing season to reach full flowering, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.

Penstemon (Beardtongue) is hardy in zones 3-8, so in zone 7b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 1.75 ft of spread at maturity.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Penstemon (Beardtongue).

Where to buy penstemon seeds

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