Penstemon digitalis (Husker Red Penstemon)

Mature Height: 2-3’

Mature Spread: 18-24”

Hardy To: 8,000’

Water: Low

Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade, Adaptable

Flower Color: Creamy White

Flower Season: Late Spring to Early Summer

Attracts: Bees, Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Resistant To: Deer

Description: A thick mound of striking reddish-green foliage with erect stalks carrying open spires of white flowers. The Husker Red Penstemon is not only of interest during its full bloom of summer but all year long. In autumn and winter, song birds are found feast- ing on its seeds, and in the chill of winter it is still visible as a tidy maroon clump of elongated deer-tongue leaves. Husker Red won the Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year Award in 1996, and it is an extremely sturdy, easy to grow, problem-free perennial plant. It is deer resistant and drought-tolerant once established. It makes a great cut flower.

Care: Prune after the first bloom. Husker Red appreciates well- drained soil to avoid root rot and enough sun to keep its stems from flopping. Divide every 3 to 4 years to manage overgrown clumps and keep the plant vigorous. Plants can be staked if neces- sary.