Penstemon, Rock Candy Blue - Trio of plants

The Rock Candy series of Penstemon barbatus, or beardtongue, is a trio of pint-sized perennials that’ll sweeten up your Indiana Zone 6a garden with more charm than a candy store on free-sample day! These compact cuties—‘Blue,’ ‘Purple,’ and ‘Ruby’—are perfect for gardeners who want big blooms without the big fuss. They thrive in full sun (6+ hours daily), because shade’s for shrinking violets, not these sun-soaked show-offs. Let’s unwrap the details on each variety and see why they’re a Hoosier gardener’s dream!

‘Rock Candy Blue’ kicks off with a cool, calming vibe that’ll make your garden feel like a chill summer sky. It grows to a tidy 8-12 inches tall and wide, forming a neat clump of medium-green foliage—think of it as the garden’s well-behaved kid who still knows how to party. From late spring to early summer, its deep purple-blue, bell-shaped flowers pop up on compact spikes, reblooming into late summer if you snip the spent blooms—call it a floral encore! Pollinators—hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies—swarm it like it’s a nectar buffet, and it’s drought tolerant once established, sipping water like a polite guest. Hardy in Zone 6a, it shrugs off Indiana’s winters and thrives in well-drained soil—your garden’s new blue crush!

The Rock Candy series of Penstemon barbatus, or beardtongue, is a trio of pint-sized perennials that’ll sweeten up your Indiana Zone 6a garden with more charm than a candy store on free-sample day! These compact cuties—‘Blue,’ ‘Purple,’ and ‘Ruby’—are perfect for gardeners who want big blooms without the big fuss. They thrive in full sun (6+ hours daily), because shade’s for shrinking violets, not these sun-soaked show-offs. Let’s unwrap the details on each variety and see why they’re a Hoosier gardener’s dream!