My Deer Garden

Plant record · Perennial

Is Rocky Mountain Penstemon deer resistant?

Penstemon strictus

Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Perennial
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Part shade
Height
36–36 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
6 US states

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Rocky Mountain Penstemon

The easy one. Glossy narrow leaves in an evergreen mat, blue-violet spikes in late spring, and a tolerance of heavy soil and moisture that the rest of the genus lacks.

Crowd it and it mildews. Packed in among other perennials the lower leaves gray over with powdery mildew and the mat thins from the middle outwards, which is how most people lose it. Air is the whole fix: a clear foot around each plant, taller neighbors kept off it, and water put on the ground rather than over the leaves.

Its tolerance of clay is tolerance, not preference - it still does better in dry, light, well-drained soil. 'Bandera' is the long-standing seed release, raised from a collection made in Torrance County, New Mexico, and it is one of only two penstemon releases credited with any forage value, which is a liability where browsing is heavy.

Similar to Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Other perennials with the same deer rating.

Where Rocky Mountain Penstemon grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 6 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Is Rocky Mountain Penstemon deer resistant?
Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Rocky Mountain Penstemon grow in?
Rocky Mountain Penstemon is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Rocky Mountain Penstemon grow in shade?
Yes. Rocky Mountain Penstemon tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Rocky Mountain Penstemon get?
Mature height is roughly 36–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.

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Every list Rocky Mountain Penstemon belongs to.

All perennials·Seldom damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .