Mat Penstemon

Year-round

Year-round care for mat penstemon around Flagstaff, AZ: sun to part sun, fast-draining gritty soil, little water.

• It grows in sun to part sun.
• It wants dry, gritty, gravelly or sandy well-drained soil with low organic content, so crowns stay dry.
• Water needs are low. It does not like to be over-watered.
• Give some extra water in the first year, then it generally needs none.
• It forms a mat 1 to 2 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches across. Avoid high-traffic areas.
• Cutting plants back after flowering may increase longevity. It is hardy in zones 4 to 7.

A low, even mat along a bed edge or between stones looks tidy and intentional.

Year-round

Year-round care for mat penstemon around Salt Lake City, UT: sun to part sun, well-drained soil.

• The selected form listed here grows in sun to part sun.
• It dislikes excess moisture, with water needs low to xeric.
• It adapts to clay, loam, sandy and gravelly soils.
• It grows 1 to 2 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches wide in circular evergreen mats.
• Trim young tips to promote branching.
• The stems turn semi-woody, so keep it out of high-traffic spots.
• It is listed for zones 4 to 7.

A flat evergreen mat that stays low and tidy at a bed edge.

Year-round

Mat penstemon is a tiny, spreading plant that likes well-drained soil and little water.

• It likes sun or part sun.
• Water needs are low to xeric, and it does not like to be over-watered.
• It grows in clay, loam, sandy or gravelly soil but prefers good drainage.
• It reaches only 1 to 2 inches tall and spreads 12 to 14 inches.

A low, tidy mat that suits dry beds and rock gardens.

Fall

Fall is a good time to leave the mat alone.

• It develops semi-woody branches, so avoid planting where people walk.
• It can grow slowly.
• Keep water light.

Winter

This plant is rated hardy for zones 4 to 7, which includes zone 7a.

• Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7.
• Well-drained soil matters most.
• Plants may need replacing after 5 to 10 years.

Spring

Spring is the time to trim young plants so they branch.

• Trim young plants to encourage branching.
• Keep water light since it does not like to be over-watered.
• Plant in well-drained soil.

Summer

Flowers show in early summer. Keep watering light.

• Blue to light purple flowers appear from June through early July.
• Water needs are low to xeric.
• Sun or part sun works.

Year-round

Mat penstemon is a tough, low-growing mountain native that hugs the ground and only asks for full sun and fast-draining soil.

• Native to Colorado and the Southern Rockies, so it belongs in Durango yards.
• Forms a tight mat only 2 to 8 inches tall, ideal between pavers or as front-of-bed edging.
• Wants full sun and lean, gritty or rocky soil that drains fast.
• Its purple to blue tubular flowers feed native bees and hummingbirds.
• The main way people kill it is too much water and heavy, wet soil.

Kept as a low, even mat along a bed edge or path, it reads as intentional and cared-for, which helps a front yard avoid a violation letter.

Fall

Early fall is a second planting window, and it is the time to stop fussing and let the plant wind down.

• Early fall is a good second planting window so roots settle before the ground freezes.
• Ease off watering as nights cool and the plant heads toward dormancy.
• Leave the dried flower stalks and seedheads standing for insects and birds.
• Do not cut the mat back now, the old growth helps protect the crown over winter.
• Check that the spot still drains fast before the wet, freezing months arrive.

Winter

Through Durango's cold, snowy winter the plant is fully dormant, so the best care is to leave it alone.

• The mat is dormant and hardy through the zone 5b to 6a winter, so no care is needed.
• Leave the dried stalks standing until spring.
• Do not water, frozen wet soil is the fastest way to rot the crown.
• Snow cover is fine and actually protects the low mat.
• Wait until early spring to cut the old growth back.

Standing dried stalks can read as neglect, so a clean bed edge and knowing they are intentional winter cover keeps the yard looking deliberate and helps avoid a violation letter.

Spring

Spring is for a quick cleanup and, once frost is done, for setting out new plants.

• Wait until the last hard frost passes, usually late May, before planting.
• Cut last year's dried stalks back down to the green mat in early spring.
• Water a new plant lightly to settle the roots, then let the soil dry between drinks.
• Pull early weeds by hand so they do not crowd the low mat.
• Skip rich compost or mulch that holds water against the crown.

A quick early-spring trim of the dead stalks keeps the mat looking neat and intentional, which reads as cared-for and helps avoid a violation letter.

Summer

Summer is the short bloom season, when the plant feeds pollinators and needs very little water.

• Blooms purple to blue from about May into July through the short mountain summer.
• The flowers feed native bees and hummingbirds, so leave them be while blooming.
• Water deeply but rarely, only when the soil is dry an inch down.
• Skip extra water during July and August monsoon storms, since the rain is usually enough.
• Watch for soft, yellow growth, a sign the soil is staying too wet.

Year-round

Year-round care for mat penstemon around Logan, UT: sun to part sun, fast-draining gritty soil, little water.

• It grows in sun to part sun.
• It wants dry, gritty, gravelly or sandy well-drained soil with low organic content, so crowns stay dry.
• Water needs are low. It does not like to be over-watered.
• Give some extra water in the first year, then it generally needs none.
• It forms a mat 1 to 2 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches across. Avoid high-traffic areas.
• Cutting plants back after flowering may increase longevity. It is hardy in zones 4 to 7.

A low, even mat along a bed edge or between stones looks tidy and intentional.