The vibrant flowers of Midnight Masquerade penstemon make it a showstopper in any summer garden. But choosing the right companion plants can really help it stand out even more. Let’s look at some of the best options for combining with this eye-catching perennial.
Complementary Flower Colors
With its rich purple and white blooms, Midnight Masquerade pairs beautifully with other flowers in shades of pink, blue, yellow, and orange. Some great options include:
- Agastache ‘Mango Tango’ – Orange and peach spikes
- Hemerocallis ‘Going Bananas’ – Cheery yellow daylilies
- Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’ – Lavender-blue catmint
- Perovskia ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ – Blue Russian sage
- Sedum ‘Night Embers’ – Dark pink stonecrop
- Veronica ‘Lavender Lightsaber’ – Purple speedwell spikes
Planting the penstemon among these complementary hues creates a lively vibrant combination. The contrasting colors make each plant stand out.
Textural Contrast
In addition to color, combining plants with diverse forms and foliage provides visual interest. Midnight Masquerade has a vertical spiky habit. Pairing it with mounded, trailing or bushy plants adds appealing textural contrast.
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Catmint and Russian sage have airy delicate leaves that contrast nicely with the penstemon’s sturdy foliage.
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The colorful sedum forms a neat mat at the front of the border, compared to the penstemon’s tall spikes.
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Daylily foliage provides bold, strappy leaves to balance the penstemon’s narrower leaves.
Attract Pollinators
Many of these companion plants also attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds with their nectar-rich blooms. Planting them alongside Midnight Masquerade creates a pollinator paradise in your garden.
The tubular flowers of penstemon offer an excellent nectar source for hummingbirds. Meanwhile, catmint, Russian sage, daylilies, and sedum lure in butterflies. And bees happily buzz around all of these flowering plants.
Coordinated Bloom Times
Choosing plants with coordinated bloom seasons ensures there will always be something eye-catching in flower.
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Catmint and daylilies bloom in early summer just before the Midnight Masquerade penstemon.
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Russian sage and sedum flower alongside the penstemon in mid to late summer.
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The speedwell extends the floral display into fall.
With strategic selection, you can create months of continuous color and blooms.
Shared Growing Conditions
In addition to their aesthetic appeal, these plants share similar growing preferences as Midnight Masquerade penstemon. They all thrive in full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. This makes them ideal companions that won’t compete for resources.
To recap, some of the best options for complimenting Midnight Masquerade penstemon include catmint, Russian sage, daylilies, sedum, speedwell, and agastache. Combining their colorful blooms, varied textures, and shared growing needs results in an eye-catching garden display.
Perennials To Plant With Beardtongue
The best perennials to plant with beardtongue are pollinator-friendly natives and other drought-tolerant species. Making sure that all the plants in a design need the same amount of water and light makes it much easier to manage and more likely to last for a long time. Perennials that thrive in the same conditions as beardtongue include daylily, black-eyed Susan, coneflowers, and blanket flowers. You can also add yarrow, veronica, blazing star, and different types of milkweed, which all have long blooming periods that attract lots of good pollinators.
Best Companion Plants For Beardtongue in Containers
Growing beardtongue in a planter allows the gardener to highlight the often overlooked and highly ornamental foliage. Beardtongue plants have interesting deeply colored and variegated leaves that are pretty even when they’re not in bloom. As filler and spiller plants, put together maroon-leaved beardtongue, brunnera, coral bells, and foamy bells. Then, put a dark-colored ornamental grass in the middle. It is important that the planter you choose has good drainage at the bottom and is filled with peat-free potting mix. Put this pollinator-friendly container near a seat on a sunny deck or patio, and all summer long, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other good bugs will come to visit.
Penstemon in Full Bloom: ‘Midnight Masquerade’!
What is a ‘Midnight Masquerade’ Penstemon hybrid?
‘Midnight Masquerade’ Penstemon hybrid. Photo by Proven Winners. If you’re looking for a high-impact, long-blooming perennial with low water requirements and amazing diversity, penstemon, or beardtongue, is a top contender.
Is Midnight Masquerade beardtongue a perennial?
The Midnight Masquerade Beardtongue is a stunning purple plant that offers deep burgundy foliage, and luscious lavender purple blooms with pure white centers that form on dark stems. It is drought tolerant and will bring the wow factor to your yard. The foliage of this perennial is a rich deep burgundy, purple. Its upright habit is tall and full.
Are Penstemon perennials good for xeriscaping?
Rock Gardens and Xeriscaping: Drought-resistant Penstemons are perfect for rock gardens and xeriscaping. Their ability to thrive in less-than-ideal soil makes them a fantastic low-maintenance choice for these types of landscapes. Companion Planting: Penstemon plants are highly compatible with other perennials.
What are the different types of penstemon?
There are numerous varieties of Penstemon, each with unique characteristics. Here are brief descriptions of some main varieties: Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue): A remarkable perennial prized for its tubular white flowers and statuesque presence in the landscape.
