Other Names:  Beardtongue, Shrubby Penstemon, var. serratus

Description:

A vigorous plant with a compact, woody, bushy habit and holly-like leaves; produces a profusion of purple-lavender blooms with striped white throats; an excellent complement to other perennials; great for border fronts, along walkways, or in containers

Ornamental Features

Holly Sawleaf Bush Beard Tongue has masses of beautiful spikes of purple tubular flowers with lavender overtones and white throats rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The serrated narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Holly Sawleaf Bush Beard Tongue is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Holly Sawleaf Bush Beard Tongue is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Holly Sawleaf Bush Beard Tongue will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Holly Sawleaf Bush Beard Tongue makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.