Is Sidebells Penstemon deer resistant?
Penstemon secundiflorus
Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
Not listed by Rutgers NJAES. Rated deer-resistant by El Paso County CSU Extension, whose list is a single category, mapped conservatively to Seldom Severely Damaged.
About Sidebells Penstemon
Two names, one plant: sidebells penstemon and orchid penstemon are both Penstemon secundiflorus, and the first of them describes it - every flower comes off one side of the stalk, above waxy blue-green foliage. Deer tend to walk on by. Good soil is what shortens it. Natives of this sort, dropped into nutrient-rich, high-organic ground, become overgrown or short-lived, and a plant of six to eighteen inches has nothing spare to put into soft growth. Rocky soil, low to moderate water, no feeding. Then keep it clear. At that height it will be shaded over inside two seasons by anything of border stature, so a path edge, a wall top or a gravel garden is where it earns its place. It takes a little more moisture than the desert penstemons - but only a little, and never at the cost of drainage.
Similar to Sidebells Penstemon
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
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Common questions about Sidebells Penstemon
- Is Sidebells Penstemon deer resistant?
- Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- Does Sidebells Penstemon grow in shade?
- No. Sidebells Penstemon wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Sidebells Penstemon get?
- Mature height is roughly 6–18 in. Growth rate is moderate.