On Tuesday, August 28, 2001 10:04:08 PM UTC+1, Lynn Davies wrote:
Hi group I have been an reader for some time now but haven't had a question
for your good selves. Can anyone tell me why my penstemon hasn't flowered?
I pruned it in late April as per Alan T's instructions on Gardeners World..
I used the shoots on the offcuts to propagate new plants with a good measure
of success. Now the odd bit is the new plants are all in flower now but the
parent plant shows no sign of flowering at all! What did I do wrong or is
it possible that Alan 'God' Titchmarsh is giving out duff info!!!

Lynn (Magnolia)

I have a very healthy Sour Grapes penstemon but it has never flowered. It is a 3 year old plant and in a good sunny position. I have done everything possible for it (except sing to it!) but still no flowers. I will give it one more season but if I don't get flowers in 2015 then it will accompany me to the tip. However advice welcome. Paul

On 15/09/2014 09:45, wrote:
On Tuesday, August 28, 2001 10:04:08 PM UTC+1, Lynn Davies wrote:
Hi group I have been an reader for some time now but haven't had a question
for your good selves. Can anyone tell me why my penstemon hasn't flowered?
I pruned it in late April as per Alan T's instructions on Gardeners World.
I used the shoots on the offcuts to propagate new plants with a good measure
of success. Now the odd bit is the new plants are all in flower now but the
parent plant shows no sign of flowering at all! What did I do wrong or is
it possible that Alan 'God' Titchmarsh is giving out duff info!!!

Lynn (Magnolia)

I have a very healthy Sour Grapes penstemon but it has never flowered. It is a 3 year old plant and in a good sunny position. I have done everything possible for it (except sing to it!) but still no flowers. I will give it one more season but if I don't get flowers in 2015 then it will accompany me to the tip. However advice welcome. Paul

Hi Paul.
You might possibly be treating your plant too well. What's your soil
like? If it's lovely and rich the plant might be making lush leafy
growth at the expense of flower. Penstemons don't generally need much in
the way of extra feeding and cosseting to bloom well, IME.

Younger penstemon plants also tend to flower more prolifically than
older ones that have got a bit woody at the base. You could try growing
a few new ones from cuttings and see how they fare in a different site;
they're quite easy in a gritty compost mix, I find.

BTW - you've added your question as follow-up to a post from a very old
and defunct thread from 2001. Searches on Googlegroups will throw up
ancient posts from way back when, as well as current discussions.

--
Sue

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 01:45:23 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Tuesday, August 28, 2001 10:04:08 PM UTC+1, Lynn Davies wrote:
Hi group I have been an reader for some time now but haven't had a question
for your good selves. Can anyone tell me why my penstemon hasn't flowered?
I pruned it in late April as per Alan T's instructions on Gardeners World.
I used the shoots on the offcuts to propagate new plants with a good measure
of success. Now the odd bit is the new plants are all in flower now but the
parent plant shows no sign of flowering at all! What did I do wrong or is
it possible that Alan 'God' Titchmarsh is giving out duff info!!!

Lynn (Magnolia)

I have a very healthy Sour Grapes penstemon but it has never flowered. It is a 3 year old plant and in a good sunny position. I have done everything possible for it (except sing to it!) but still no flowers. I will give it one more season but if I don't get flowers in 2015 then it will accompany me to the tip. However advice welcome. Paul

You are not alone. I have a big clump in the soil which has had hardly
any flowers this year and another clump of the same unnamed variety in
a tub which has not had a flower at all.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:46:53 +0100, Indigo
wrote:

Younger penstemon plants also tend to flower more prolifically than
older ones that have got a bit woody at the base. You could try growing
a few new ones from cuttings and see how they fare in a different site;
they're quite easy in a gritty compost mix, I find.

This I think is the reason why my penstamons have not flowered this
year. They are last years growtgh which did not die back last winter
so I left them. Thanks Sue. That certainly seems to be the most likely
answer for me.

That explains a lot
My Sour Grapes had wonderful flowers the first year but no more. It has fantastic, lush growth but no flowers. I shall take cuttings. It may be an old thread but it has helped me a lot.

On Friday, August 4, 2017 at 1:45:17 PM UTC+1, wrote:
That explains a lot
My Sour Grapes had wonderful flowers the first year but no more. It has fantastic, lush growth but no flowers. I shall take cuttings. It may be an old thread but it has helped me a lot.

I've googled non flowering penstemons because I have exactly the same issue.. Mine are young plants in full sun in well drained soil. Sour grapes is the worst offender with nary a flower but others are similar. Have fed with high potash to try and encourage them but no joy.
Dave
Oct 2018