Penstemon 'Harlequin Red'

Compact and upright foliage with abundant spires of cherry red blooms. The flowers have pretty, white, patterned throats.

Penstemon 'Harlequin Magenta' is a stand out in garden beds, as edging or in containers. Beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies flock to the flowers.

Both the blooms and foliage last well in a vase, as do the ornamental seed heads.

Happy in poor, to moderately fertile, or humus rich, well drained soils. Water to establish, this takes four to six weeks of regular watering, then you only need worry if rainfall is low, they become dry tolerant as they establish. As a semi evergreen perennial it will be herbaceous in cool climates and remain evergreen in warmer zones. It is a good idea to prune them back to the woody base in early spring to promote healthy growth and allow the fresh foliage to shine.

They tend to rot in boggy soils especially over winter, so ideally ensure there is adequate drainage. Rabbits are rarely interested in Penstemon, but slugs and snails are easily tempted, so it is best to offer them some protection.

Penstemon are commonly known as Beardtongue.