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| Figure 1. Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue) |
| When considering the bloom times of the plants in our gardens, there is often a gap between plants that flower in spring and those that flower in midsummer. One of the best choices to bridge that gap are Penstemons, which flower throughout the month of June. Their open, bell-shaped flowers provide easy access to pollen for many insects, and long-tongued pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the flowers for nectar as well. By including Penstemon in your garden, you help to provide those vital resources without any “lean” times where the pollinators might have to look elsewhere. We currently have Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) and Long-sepaled Beardtongue (Penstemon calycosus) available. |
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| Figure 2. Penstemon calycosus (Long-sepaled Beardtongue) |
| Foxglove Beardtongue grows between 1 and 3 feet tall, sometimes taller, and prefers full sun to light shade with medium to dry soil. The tubular flowers are white, rising on tall stalks above a clump of basal foliage that acts as a terrific ground cover. That basal foliage is semi-evergreen as well, often persisting into the next spring before being replaced with fresh leaves. Long-sepaled Beardtongue also grows between 1 and 3 feet tall and does well in full sun, but it can tolerate a little more shade than its counterpart. Also, it prefers medium to moist soil. This species has pink flowers instead of white, but they both have that great basal foliage that helps suppress weed growth around them. Both species spread readily by seed if allowed. |
July 2023 Newsletter
