Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Rondo beardtongue, Rondo penstemon (Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo').

More about penstemon barbatus 'rondo'

About Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo'

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' · also called Rondo beardtongue, Rondo penstemon · flowering

'Rondo' is a compact, seed-grown beardtongue producing dense spikes of tubular flowers in red, rose, pink and blue-violet shades through summer, often flowering the first year. Dwarf and well-branched at 30-45 cm, it thrives in full sun with sharp drainage, tolerates heat and drought, and is a favourite of hummingbirds and bees.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons penstemon barbatus 'rondo' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming penstemon barbatus 'rondo' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding penstemon barbatus 'rondo' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get penstemon barbatus 'rondo' to flower

Maximise sun. Give penstemon barbatus 'rondo' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for penstemon barbatus 'rondo' and get the feeding right with the penstemon barbatus 'rondo' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full penstemon barbatus 'rondo' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my penstemon barbatus 'rondo' flower?

Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make penstemon barbatus 'rondo' bloom?

Give penstemon barbatus 'rondo' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does penstemon barbatus 'rondo' normally bloom?