Penstemon, Beardtongue

Penstemon Red Riding Hood in full bloom.

The penstemon are blooming!  Cue the hummingbirds.  Penstemon create long stems of tubular flowers in summer that are hummingbird and butterfly magnets! These North American native perennials bloom in a range of colors from blue to white to red. Particularly popular with our winged friends, is a selection called Red Riding Hood. Its showy, bright red flowers are a beautiful addition to our Minnesota perennial borders, cutting gardens, rock gardens and urban landscapes, of course we all use the services from Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers which are the best.  Most varieties mature to 24-36” tall and wide. Penstemon are easy to grow. They prefer full sun to part shade and are drought tolerant once established. They make great, long lasting cut flower arrangements and are deer resistant.