The foliage of this plant is a deep burgundy-purple in the spring. As it matures, it turns green. Both green and purple foliage may be seen on the plant at the same time. The stems are also deep purple-burgundy, bearing delicate spikes of white bell-shaped flowers in the spring. This plant is stunning planted with Queen of the Night tulips and dark purple heuchera.
First year for this plant. Is said to do well in the area.
I purchased this plant from Lowe's four years ago. It has been very prolific for me. The plant itself got huge and I had to thin it out several times. It blooms in spring and will bloom two more times until fall if I keep up on removing the spent blooms. Other than dead heading, I find it requires no special care.
My mom grew this penstemon from seed for me five years ago. It started with a bang and has continued every year since with a bang! Next year I am going to have to downsize it as it has taken over quite a large area. I find the blooms have an almost iridescent quality. My only complaint about this flower is that it only blooms in spring. It is so pretty I wish it would go all summer long!
I love growing Red Rocks in my garden for the hummers, bees, and myself to enjoy.
Smooth White Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) produces white blossoms in late spring to early summer. Native to eastern North America, Penstemon digitalis is a nectar source for butterflies, and a pollinator magnet in the late spring and early summer. It has special value to bumble bees and native bees, particularly small carpenter, wool carder, digger, sweat, and leafcutter bees. Small and medium sized bees are the most frequent visitors, and certain mason bees and pollen-collecting wasps are specialists.
This has become one of my favorite spring wildflowers. I like that it's evergreen and it adds a nice woodland feel to my dappled shade garden. I have four plants growing around a bird bath. Even during really dry conditions, they don't wilt and I've seen a few pollinators visiting the blooms.
Penstemon pinifolius has grown from a seedling in a 2-inch pot to a plant that is, after 2 years, 18 inches across and about 10 inches tall, not including the bloom stalks. It is planted in one of the raised beds filled with sandy loam compost, which is fast draining, with a top dressing of crushed granite (chicken grit).
I had this plant years ago, but I lost it. The flowers are a gorgeous electric blue color! I'd like to find it again to plant. The one I had I got locally, but I haven't seen it since.
"Penstemon eatonii is a species of penstemon known by the common name firecracker penstemon. It is native to the western United States from California to the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in many types of desert, woodland, forest, and open plateau habitat. It is a perennial herb producing several sprawling to erect stems reaching one meter in maximum height. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, untoothed, and up to 9 centimeters in length. The inflorescence produces showy tubular flowers in shades of bright red, sometimes exceeding 3 centimeters in length. The flower is narrow and cylindrical, not spreading much at the mouth."
