The Penstemon Rocky Mountain Blue, 'Penstemon strictus', has elegant bluish purple spikes of tubular flowers that lend a touch of formality to the dry flower garden. Rocky Mountain Penstemon enhances the garden twelve months of the year. The exquisite blue flower spikes are followed by graceful seed pods. In winter, evergreen basal rosettes turn from green to reddish purple, shrugging temperatures well below zero. Rocky Mountain Blues start blooming during the first hot days of early summer and continue for several weeks.
Penstemon prefer full sun and light shade. Water regularly and do not over fertilize. Plant in the spring, 3 to 4 weeks before the last average frost date or in late fall. The Rocky Mountain Blue are used for wildflower plantings, borders and as cut flowers. They also attract butterflies.