We know. Saying that a plant is ‘The perfect perennial for your garden’ is a big statement. But we wouldn’t say it if we couldn’t back it up! Introducing that plant – the Midnight Masquerade Penstemon (Penstemon ‘Midnight Masquerade’) is sure to fill a void that you didn’t even know your garden had!
Midnight Masquerade brings brooding rich color, both in foliage and flower – and a lot of it – to your garden beds and borders! Featuring deep, eggplant-purple leaves that keep their color all season from spring until they go dormant in the fall. Adding a depth and mystery to the garden that’s beyond belief!
Honestly, the foliage is enough to sell this plant. It really is that striking! But, that’s not all it has to offer. In summer a bevy of silky-lavender, tubular flowers with pure-white throats tops the foliage on long, dark stems. For several weeks they put on a show-stopping performance!
Also known as Beardtongue, these tubular-shaped blooms seem custom-made for hummingbirds, bees, and butterfly tongues! Vital nectar resources and gorgeous cut flowers for bouquets, you may feel a bit selfish helping yourself to a few blooms for outstanding floral arrangement focal points, but go ahead – these perennials will provide enough for all to enjoy! Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 8, they’ll come back bigger and better each year!
Planting and Application:
The leaves are so dark and colorful, that they make other perennials around them pop! Pair with white, pink, blue, and chartreuse green blooms to really maximize the color! Evergreen shrubs and Rose bushes are especially bright when they’re put next to Midnight Masquerade!
This drought-tolerant, long-lived perennial will make a splash wherever you put it, but for best effect plant it in twos or threes, in Rock Gardens, tucked in amongst other perennials so it can help their colors explode! Hardy and resilient, any sunny area of the landscape works for these tough native selections! Dry and xeric, to pampered Cottage borders, sun-drenched seating area planters, or by your front steps for curb appeal – a Midnight Masquerade just makes itself at home!
For a real traffic-stopper, put a mass of these in a large bed and surround it with a low hedge of Mondo Grass or Boxwood. Any garden becomes a cut flower or pollinator garden! Entice more visitors with a garden bench, a birdbath, and a few bird and hummingbird feeders – then sit back and relax!
- Dark Purple Foliage
- Bi-Color Light & Dark Purple Blooms
- Tubular Flowers Attract Hummingbirds & Pollinators
- Huge Hummingbird, Bee & Butterfly Nectar Resource
- Specimens, Focal Points, Beds & Borders, Containers & Cut Flowers!
Tips for Care:
Penstemon flower best in full sun and in well-drained soil conditions, preferring average soil types on the lean side. Provide regular moisture access throughout their first year, but once established, these are wonderfully drought-tolerant and Waterwise. Mulch around the roots to a depth of about 3-4 inches, these are very cold-tolerant perennials but do appreciate the extra layer of protection. You can leave these seed heads as winter interest and attract songbirds, or deadhead them to tidy up the mounds in fall. Prune the foliage down late fall after frost, and divide every few years.
- Full Sun Perennial
- Well-Drained Soil & Appreciates Mulch
- Regular to Low Moisture
- Hardy & Easy Care
- Drought-Tolerant Once Established
- Deer & Rabbit-Resistant
However you choose to use it, Midnight Masquerade Penstemon will be a gift to your garden.
