Description
Penstemon digitalis | Foxglove Beardtongue ‘Mystica’
Penstemon is a wonderful genus of wildly varied, flowering, herbaceous perennials. It’s a genus of vast proportions that would be hard to comprehend in one sitting, let alone a lifetime. With some 280 species, Penstemon is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to the Americas, ranging from warm Central America to the cold plains of Canada.
Generally Beardtongues have tall, loose spikes of small flowers above small or thin leaves. Plants vary from a few centimeters to several feet tall. Grow well on slopes and prefer to be out in the open in full sun. Easy to grow and drought tolerant.
Penstemon digitalis ‘Mystica’, known as Foxglove Beard Tongue, Talus Slope, Smooth White Penstemon, and Pride of the Mountain, has foliage that starts out green in spring and then morphs into bronze and red shades during the rest of its life throughout summer, into fall and even into late winter. The blooms are showy spikes, topped with pink-blushed white, Penstemon/Foxglove-style trumpet flowers. This arrangement guides hummingbirds and pollinators into the flower’s inner pistils while it brushes against the bloom’s bristly inner edges giving Penstemon the common name of Beard Tongue. This hybrid Penstemon has a strong tendency to stay evergreen and is frost-resistant too, a valuable trait when living in the mountain valleys.
Butterfly and hummingbird magnet. Makes superb cut flowers.
Allowing seeds to drop in the garden to be vernalized over winter will result in new spring Penstemon starts.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 2-3 ft
Mature width: 18-24 inches
Hardiness zones: 3-9
