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Penstemon 'Husker Red' (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red') | $14.99 | 4-inch pot
🌿 Quick Facts: • Native Status: Cultivar of a North American native species (not a Colorado native) • USDA Growing Zones: 3-8 • Height: 24-36 inches in bloom (foliage 12-18 inches) • Spread: 12-24 inches
🌺 Bloom Details: • Season: Late spring to early summer • Colors: White with a pink blush above deep maroon-burgundy foliage • Flower Type: Airy panicles of small tubular snapdragon-like flowers • Bloom Period: May-July
☀️ Growing Requirements: • Sun: Full sun for best foliage color; tolerates part shade • Water: Low to moderate • Soil: Average, well-draining; tolerates clay but rots in soggy winter soil • Spacing: 18-24 inches apart
🦋 Pollinator Benefits: • Birds: Seed capsules feed small finches • Native Bees: Excellent — bumble, carpenter & mason bees • Butterflies: Good nectar plant; Penstemons host checkerspot larvae • Beneficial Insects: Hummingbird favorite; supports hoverflies & parasitic wasps
🌱 Plant Care: • Spring: Cut back old stems; divide every 3-4 years to keep color • Summer: Deadhead after bloom to limit seeding and flop • Fall: Remove seedheads to avoid green-leaved volunteers • Winter: Leave crown undisturbed; avoid heavy wet mulch
🤝 Companion Planting: • Perfect paired with:
✨ Unique Characteristics: • Perennial Plant of the Year 1996 • Burgundy spring foliage carries the border for months • White flowers glow against dark leaves • Deer resistant • Longer-lived than most penstemons in irrigated beds