What's not to like about this hardy perennial ? It has a firm woody base, stunning glossy evergreen leaves and flowers of tubular bell shapes in a wide range of colours and colour combinations, many with white throats that contrast so beautifully.
See variants within the above plant profile
Adaptability
Flowering from late summer to late autumn, the next real positive is that they are good friends with so many different types of planting situations; great in full or partial sun, between roses or shrubs, shining in herbaceous borders and the shorter varieties can be super in containers. One gardening tip is that the slender leaved varieties are slightly more robust, sturdy and frost hardy.
Penstemons became popular in the 19th century sold as bedding plants, not the hardy perennials that they really are.
How to get the best from your Penstemons
You need to be strict with your deadheading regime. The more you remove deadheads the longer your flowering season will be. During long dry spells make sure that you water well and give a liquid feed once a month during the flowering season.
