Is Penstemon deer resistant?
Penstemon sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Penstemon
A large genus split between the western species, which demand sharp drainage and dry summers, and the eastern ones, which take ordinary garden soil. Match the species to your conditions or it will rot. Do not cut the old stems back until spring, since they protect the crown.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Penstemon
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Penstemon keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- HorehoundMarrubium vulgareZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- IrisIris sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Threadleaf CoreopsisCoreopsis verticillataZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Penstemon
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Cambridge GeraniumGeranium x cantabrigienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
Protecting Penstemon
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Penstemon grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Penstemon belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Penstemon
- Is Penstemon deer resistant?
- Penstemon (Penstemon sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Penstemon grow in?
- Penstemon is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Penstemon grow in shade?
- No. Penstemon wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.